Quincy Craft
by Jaydoggg39
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki hates that fateful night that rendered him useless, so he ran far away, leaving everything and everyone behind in Karakura Town... However, hope reawakens in the form of the Invisible Empire that offers its services to the tragic hero, and promises him a future where he can be free of the memories.
1. Back to Black

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

_...I'm sorry I was late..._

_ ...I was late..._

_ …late..._

"...late if you don't wake the hell up!"

What a way to start the day, Ichigo Kurosaki mused to himself as something pelted him in the side of his face. Sighing heavily in annoyance, he reached over for the object, which was his roommate's shoe, and threw it as hard as he could at the other teenager's face, sending him into the wall of the medium-sized dorm room.

The loud, distracting sound of an unknown American rock band resonated through his ears, courtesy of his roommate's radio. Yawning loudly, the orange-haired teenager swung his feet to the side of his sky-blue bed and ruffled his spiky locks before slipping his feet into his shower shoes.

When he glanced over at the clock next to his bed, Ichigo rubbed his eyes and did a retake.

_'...Eight o' clock...?'_

Frowning, he cursed his roommate, who stood to his feet with his face raging red in anger. He shook his fist angrily at Ichigo and yelled, "Damnit, Kurosaki! What the hell was that for!?

Ichigo's eyes narrowed in a deadpan manner as he growled out, "You threw it at me first, Momohara...! Second of all, I don't leave for class for another two hours!"

Tetsuo Momohara's mouth was held agape in embarrassment as he scratched at his head and apologized, "My bad, Kurosaki..."

Tetsuo Momohara was a teenager from Karakura High School who, like himself, went to the University of Kagamino after graduating. He had black hair that waved to the right side of his forehead and a large bandage near his left eyebrow. Considering he's had that bandage since he was in High School, one could only wonder what kind of fashion statement he was trying to make.

Ichigo shook his head and stood to his feet before walking over to his closet. He swung the mahogany wardrobe open and gathered his showering equipment. Giving one last annoyed glare at his roommate, he turned and left the room silently.

Tetsuo scowled and began to mirror Ichigo's actions.

"...Wonder what crawled up his ass and died..."

He then closed the door behind him, never noticing the dark-haired man leaning against their dorm's window with his eyes closed in deep thought.

* * *

_...I'm sorry I was late, Ichigo..._

_ ...Ichigo...? I'm really sorry..._

_ ...Please, come back... We're all waiting for you..._

Ichigo angrily sighed as he pressed his forehead against the wall of the showers. He lazily moved his hand to the hot water handle and twisted it, wishing that the steaming water would take away all of his weakness.

_'...Damnit... Even now, it still pisses me off...'_

"Oi, Kurosaki! You in here!?"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open in fear as he heard the voice scream out from the opening of the bathroom. He heard the curtains a few stalls being pulled open before they were closed back.

"...Shit... I don't feel like dealing with him now..."

The stall nearest to him was opened, and the angry scream of some other dorm resident echoed off of the walls. Mentally preparing himself with a short sigh, Ichigo turned around and swung his foot as soon as his curtain was opened, his foot colliding with the nose of the intruder and sending him back into the wall.

"Leave me the hell alone!"

Ichigo turned back to wash himself in piece as he listened to the sniffling from the teenager outside of his curtain. He heard the clambering of the person as they tried to stand back up.

_'...That bastard better not come back...'_

As if fate decided to work against him, the footsteps hurried back to his stall and the man tore his curtains open with a determined rage.

"Why do you treat me like this!? I just wanna get to know you better!"

Ichigo's elbow slammed into his nose again. The orange-haired teenager turned around with his towel wrapped around his waist and screamed, "I'm not gay, Ryouseika!"

Daruma Ryouseika was a student from Miyashita Commercial High School and a very proud bisexual who was determined to score with Ichigo Kurosaki before the semester was over. His hair was magenta and long, giving him a very effeminate appearance, and he was dressed in black-and-white pajamas.

_'...And I thought Honsho was bad... Now I know how Orihime felt...'_

Thinking about the old days caused Ichigo's anger to return, and he decided to step over Daruma's unconscious body before he did something he regretted.

* * *

After leaving from the showers, Ichigo had gone to his classes for the day and decided to stop by the school's diner. After he sat down, he thought about the earlier events that happened during his history class.

_'...That dark man...that was standing outside of the window and looking right at me... Who the hell is he...?'_

As he sat in deep thought, the voice of his roommate rung through his ears as he sat down and quipped, "...So... I heard Ryouseika tried to jump you in showers..."

Ichigo made a face at his bento in response and mumbled, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Tetsuo chuckled at his expression before releasing a false breath of relief and jesting, "I'm just glad he's after you, and not me."

Ichigo's roommate couldn't help but laugh out loud after he pulled another face directed at him. He laughed so much that he wasn't able to comprehend the danger incoming behind him until it was too late. A feminine hip bumped into his back, causing some of his food to spill on his lap.

As he stared incredulously at the offending area, Ichigo pointed and laughed at him, causing the nearby students to chuckle slightly at his misfortune. The very same female sat at their table and casually asked, "What are you two so happy about?"

The boys turned their heads as Ryo Kunieda, dressed in her track uniform, sat down at their table with her trademarked book in her hand. Her book, like her very own body, was drenched in her sweat from her early running...something that every male in the vicinity happened to notice.

Ichigo looked down at his fruit drink to keep focus before dropping it in front of her with a shake of his head.

"Just to make sure you don't pass out on me... Don't want everyone around here to get the wrong idea."

Ryo rolled her eyes and thanked him for the drink before quickly downing it and throwing it behind her into a trash can without looking. Both of the boys blinked at the display of skill before deciding to ignore it and continue eating. With Ryo, it was smarter to not ask questions.

Ryo Kunieda, like Tetsuo and Ichigo, was one of the few students that graduated from Karakura High and moved to Kagamino City. Just like in High School, she continued to excel in track, being one of the best in Tokyo. After high school, she had cut her dark hair shorter, allowing it to simply weave over her shoulders, and the beauty mark under her eye seemed even more pronounced.

As she flipped through the pages of her book, she spared a glance towards the boys and asked, "I take it you guys are ready for track practice later on, huh? I definitely can't wait. You know we have our last meet during the finals week."

Ichigo stared incredulously and questioned, "How in the hell are you ready for practice...when you look like that...?"

She offhandedly sized him up before waving him off and replying, "This? This is nothing...! Just a little warm-up before practice...!"

Suddenly, with her eyes wide, she slammed her book closed, which alerted everyone around them and shocking Ichigo and Tetsuo. She stood up and quickly placed it in her back pocket and began to run in place as she got ready to leave.

"I just remembered! I have to meet with Satoda in a few minutes! I'll catch the both of you later, alright?"

And then she suddenly took off into a rapid sprint, leaving behind a stunned pair of roommates. Ichigo raised an eyebrow and turned to his roommate, who answered his unasked question.

"Her boyfriend, as far as I'm concerned... I guess the track star and the soccer star would go great together..."

Ichigo nodded and prepared to dig into his bento before a cold shiver ran up his spine, almost like the feeling of...

He stopped his train of though and looked around the area outside of the resting area before locking eyes with a dark figure across the plaza. The person grinned before fading into the darkness of the alley.

"...You spotted a girl or somethin', Kurosaki? You seem a little tense."

Ichigo gazed back at his friend before denying, "No... I thought I saw something... It's not important..."

* * *

All throughout the practice, Ichigo still felt like he was being watched. Along with Ryo and Tetsuo, he walked around Kagamino City silently, trying to find a new restaurant to visit. The girl's face was planted in a book, leaving the boys to follow behind her.

"...I still don't understand how she isn't tired..."

The girl called out, "It's because you lack skill, Momohara. Maybe if you were more dedicated, like Satoda, you'd do better."

At the girl's response, he frowned and huffed before turning back to Ichigo, whom he noticed was paying attention to something else.

"Are you like, being stalked or something? Ever since lunch, you've been on edge."

Ryo finally closed her book and allowed them to catch up to her. When they finally began walking next to her, she commented, "...I noticed you weren't as focused during practice... Is something wrong, Ichigo?"

He wanted to reply with a positive, but he knew that whoever was watching him wanted him alone. Therefore, he had to get rid of his friends as fast as possible.

"No... I'm fine... Just tired..."

The other two blinked at Ichigo's uncharacteristic mannerisms and looked at each other. Tetsuo shrugged while Ryo glanced back at her friend. Her eyebrows raised as if she had suddenly remembered something.

"...Well... Anyway, Michiru called me earlier before practice, going on about some party that Mizuiro was throwing. Orihime told her to tell me to ask you if you wanted to go? If we take the train in a few minutes, we could be back in Karakura by eight, just in time for the party..."

Upon hearing her words, Ichigo froze up, and the memories began to replay in his head...along with another warning from that man as the cold feeling washed over him again.

_...Ichigo...? I'm really sorry..._

_ ...Please, come back... We're all waiting for you..._

He turned away from Ryo and shortly replied, "No. You can go back if you want. I'm going somewhere else... I'll see you two later."

The two friends watched worriedly as Ichigo stormed off elsewhere, leaving them behind.

_...Please, come back..._

* * *

Ichigo sped quickly through the empty streets of Kagamino City, glancing around him as he waited for the being to appear. He knew that the stalker was getting closer and closer, as the street lights began flickering.

"...You're quite lucky, Ichigo Kurosaki...that you can no longer sense Hollows... You wouldn't have dared to pass through so many before."

He could feel his heartbeat speed up as his adrenaline began to kick into overdrive. The voice came from behind him. Due to the man's words, he now had confirmation that what he felt before was Spiritual Pressure, and that this being was from the afterlife.

Taking a chance, Ichigo rolled away from the deep voice and turned around quickly to identify his stalker. A tall man in white military clothing, along with a dark cloak, stood across from him. He had long, dark hair and well-kept mutton chops connected to a mustache.

The dimmed light of the street lamps created an eerie shadow over the man's face, giving him an expression of pure evil. The lazy smirk also didn't help to ease his nerves.

"...Why didn't you come when I called out to you, Ichigo Kurosaki? I know you felt my presence, even without your abilities."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he replied, "My mother always told me to never follow strangers into a dark alley... That's an unhappy ending."

The man's smirk grew wider and he chuckled slightly.

"There's no need to be on edge...but it's good that your reflexes haven't dulled..."

The teenager scowled and asked, "Are you here to kill me for something? Is it because I know too much about the afterlife?"

The man's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth in slight annoyance as he commented, "Did you just compare me to a Soul Reaper? Ichigo Kurosaki, that is simply unforgivable."

"...Then what are-?"

He was abruptly cut off as the man raised his hand to a badge his chest, allowing a bright, blue bow to appear in his hand. Ichigo's eyes widened in shock as the memory hit him with a force that was unforgettable.

_Uryu Ishida's hands went to the cross on his side and he held it out, creating a bow made of Reishi._

"I see you understand what I am, Ichigo Kurosaki... That makes this easier for me to explain. This is the basic bow that all Quincy initially uses... It is known as the 'Kojaku'... Sadly, it's not as small as I'd like... It takes too much effort to even shrink my powers down to this size."

If he wasn't scared before, Ichigo definitely was now. The man's power had to be...unreal! That bow was nearly taller than he was, and he's holding it with a single hand! Ishida's was barely larger than his arm!

"...And what are you going to do with that?"

The man blankly stared at him and replied, "...I'm going to kill you with it."

* * *

Tetsuo frowned and absentmindedly scratched his cheek as he listened to Ryo argue with a friend from Karakura. It was somewhat exciting, considering the train ride back was really boring without Ichigo.

"...He said he wasn't coming... Whaddya mean, 'Make him come'!? I can't force Ichigo to go somewhere he doesn't want to, Michiru! I know his friends would like to see him, you don't have to keep telling me! It would be better if you all come to see him!"

Off to the side, Tetsuo shook his head and commented, "That won't work, Kunieda. One of his friends, Chad I think, called his phone and I answered it for him. When I told Ichigo that he was here, the guy ran off for the day while the poor guy waited... Kinda sad, really..."

Ryo sighed as she hung up her phone to rid herself of Michiru's begging as they rode the train back to Karakura. The boy anxiously shuffled around in the empty car as the two embraced the silence of the ride.

"...I wonder what happened..."

He looked over at the girl as she spoke aloud from behind her book ("When the hell did she pull that out?") and asked, "Come again?"

"...I mean, Ichigo used to be super tight with Ishida, Yasutora, and Inoue... Then, he stopped talking to them close to the end of the year, and then ran off from his family and friends to go to Kagamino... And he hasn't come back to Karakura since he came here."

Tetsuo raised an eyebrow and commented, "Sure he has... During the summer break, he went..."

"Where? I never saw him on the train... I searched high and low for him... He wasn't there."

The other occupant raised an eyebrow before humming to himself and agreed, "You have a point..."

"I know... I just wonder...what could cause such a rift between him and his friends...?"

* * *

Ichigo sped through the alleyways of Kagamino as arrows upon arrows were fired at the heels of his feet. It seemed that the man's aim was getting better, as they appeared to move closer to his body. One of them even scraped his calf muscle as he moved around a corner.

"I've never known you to run, Ichigo Kurosaki. You can't protect anything while you're running."

He ignored all of his taunts as he used his impressive athletic skills to swiftly traverse over trash canisters, fences, and cars to escape the bright arrows. He swiftly slid past the next corner before coming upon a dead-end. He turned and saw the shadow of the creeping man on the brick wall, which motivated him to find another way,

Looking to his left, he noticed a broken ladder. He charged to it, running up the wall and latching on to the bottom pole and quickly pulling himself up to dodge the arrow.

"...You can only run for so long, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

He climbed over the small wall to the roof and began a full sprint across the buildings, hopping along the nearest rooftops available for him to jump to. He felt another arrow sear over his shoulder, causing him to duck down to avoid the next volley of shots fired overhead. A golden, bright light signaled an open window, causing him to run faster in the hopes of breaking his pursuer.

A bright and happy blonde maid hummed a tune to herself as she swept her broom across the floor. Her boyfriend had just announced to her that he had come upon a nice sum of money, and the two were planning on leaving their families behind, which meant she could finally quit this crappy job! All she had to do was finish up this floor and she was done for life! She could hardly wai-

She snapped her head towards the open window as a flower vase crashed to the floor. A handsome young man with bright orange hair, as odd as it was, rolled into the window to his feet and continued to charge through the hallway in a hurried manner. She screamed as he slid past her and apologized before breaking through the other window onto the rooftop. Shards and dirty footprints littered the once beautiful floor, causing the woman to sigh out, "...Fuck my life..."

Ichigo feet stormed across the next set of buildings in a rapid motion. He turned around to see if the man was still following him before he collided into what seemed like a wall...

...He was just staring ahead a few moments ago...there was no wall...

"Surprise, surprise."

After rebounding off of the man's chest, Ichigo shook his head threw a wild jab at him. The man's arm quickly raised to block. The teenager anticipated that, as he used the force to plant his hands onto the concrete bottom and launch a kick to the stranger's head.

The kick, which Ichigo had hoped would have snapped his neck and ended it quickly, simply slammed into the side of the man's neck with enough force to do so, though the man showed no visible signs of that attack even phasing him.

"...That probably would have killed an average human... Your former training has definitely paid off, hasn't it? Too bad I'm not a normal human."

He quickly grabbed Ichigo's leg and slammed his back into a brick wall, the pain from it jolting through Ichigo's spine. His breath hitched in his throat, preventing him from screaming out in pain.

"Disappointingly weak, Ichigo Kurosaki... But that was to be expected."

He offhandedly tossed Ichigo a slight distance away from him. Ichigo struggled to pick himself up, regurgitating blood in the process as he fell back onto the ground...

_...It's no use... This is goodbye...Ichigo Kurosaki..._

Ichigo clawed at the ground as he again tried to pick himself up. His fingernails scraped at a pair of military boots.

_...I'm sorry I was late, Ichigo..._

He felt the stranger's hands grab at the collar of his track jersey, easily lifting him with a single hand.

_...Ichigo, you don't have to go...! Please don't go...! What about your sisters!? Are you just going to leave them behind!?_

The next thing Ichigo knew, he was being thrown off the rooftop. He glanced one last time at the man, who slowly lifted his finger up and pointed directly at him, creating a flash of light at the end of it.

_...It wasn't our fault, Ichigo... It wasn't yours either... Please...please just come home..._

The last thing Ichigo felt and saw was a beam of light piercing through his heart, and he knew immediately that it was all over...that he was going to Soul Society... Maybe he'd become a Soul Reaper, like his dad... Hopefully, he'd get his powers back...

_...Please...? Can't you just move on, Ichigo...!? What's done is done...!_

He didn't even feel any pain when he collided hard with the cement below, though he did hear voices emerging from the door in front of him...and he did see the dark form standing over him with an umbrella, looking down on him.

He had long passed out as the figure whispered in his ear, "Don't think of this as the end... It's just the beginning..."

_Please... Come back home, Ichigo..._

* * *

Trivia:

-Maybe... Maybe one day... I'll be able to start a Bleach story without Ichigo dying or suffering... But the struggle makes the man, so whatever.

-Tetsuo Momohara is a Canon Character in the Bleach Manga. He's the one who replaces Rukia after she's taken back to Soul Society, and is slightly mad when Ichigo doesn't recognize him. The reason I selected him is because Ichigo is friends with all of the male Main Characters(Uryu, Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiro). The other guys in Karakura are rarely shown, albeit their names, and there are three shown: Tetsuo Momohara, Satoda, and Shinji. Tetsuo had a full name and a picture, so I picked him as a friend, and picked Satoda as Ryo's boyfriend (He's the guy that recruits Ichigo as Goalkeeper in the Fullbring Arc).

-Ryo Kunieda (The track star that reads all the time and has the beauty mark under her eye) functions as Ichigo's female friend in college. Chizuru, Mahana, Michiru, and Ryo are the females that weren't Ichigo's friends (Orihime and Tatsuki), so I picked from those four. Chizuru was a hell no, Michiru is afraid of Ichigo, and Mahana has no true character, so Ryo was selected. She's not a love interest, by the way.

-Ryouseika is Japanese for 'Androgynous or Bisexual Flower'. Daruma is a reference to the Daruma(Dharma) Doll based on Bodhidharma. The word is also a reference to prostitutes in the Edo period because the doll was said to be able to 'raise one spirits'. The high school Daruma hails from (Miyashita) is the same one Moe Shishigawara is from.

-Kagamino City (Japanese for Mirror Field City) is the city 22km next to Karakura, where Saido Ekichiro was assigned.


	2. Back From Black

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

_...I'm sorry I was late..._

"...higo...! Ichigo...!"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open, and with a heavy breath, he lifted himself up. Glancing around, he noticed the pale-blue curtains of the room and the sky-blue sheets of his own bed... He was still dressed in his track clothing from the other day, which was a pair of white jogging pants and a sky blue shirt.

Wait...how did he get back home? Wasn't he...supposed to be dead?

_...__Don't think of this as the end... It's just the beginning..._

"...Man, I heard you got _fucked_ up last night...! I can't believe you went out to party alone and left me to go to that lame ass shit Kojima called a 'party'... The only people there were our old classmates!"

Looking to his left, Ichigo finally noticed that his roommate was kicked back in his computer chair, twirling around a chain on his finger. With narrowed, confused eyes, Ichigo glanced around the entire room, as if waiting to wake up from a dream. He turned back to his roommate and asked, "...What are you talking about, Momohara?"

The guy stopped dangling the chain on his finger and raised an eyebrow at Ichigo before a knowing look crossed his face.

"Dude, you got hammered at a bar... I'm talkin' shit-faced! I heard from Mijo, you know, from down the hall, that a couple of guys saw you passed out in front of a bar and had to carry you back!"

Ichigo continued to blink away the bliss of sleep as he shook his head in disbelief at Tetsuo's explanation. Sighing, he looked over to his clock, noticing that it was fifteen minutes till eleven o'clock.

"...It's Saturday, right?"

Tetsuo shrugged and replied, "More or less... We got practice later on today... You know Ryo's gonna kick your ass for havin' a hangover before practice, right?"

"...Yeah, yeah..."

He swung his legs over the side of his bed and sat there with his hands against his pounding forehead... He knew that guy had thrown him over the side of that building...so how is he alive...? As a matter of fact...how the hell is his back still working? The bastard definitely misaligned his spine...

He briefly heard the sound of something catching wind, and looked up to notice that Tetsuo had resumed his twirling of the chain.

"...I thought you hated jewelry?"

Tetsuo blinked and looked at the chain in his hand.

"Actually, I found it on your desk when I was searching for some mone- I mean, I...uhh...didn't know you were a hippie..."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow before holding his hand up. Tetsuo tossed it at him, which he caught it and began studying it.

It was an odd chain that was made of a cold, steel-like material and was molded into the shape of a swastika. He stared at it for a moment.

_'I don't have any jewelry... How did he find this on my desk?'_

There was something off about it... Even though he hated jewelry...it felt comfortable in his hand...and it looked familiar to him... As a matter of fact, he recognized it entirely.

_'...But how did it get back here...? I left this...in my room before I left!'_

He stared at it for a moment before holding his hand out and ordering, "...Now give me back my money."

* * *

"All hail his Majesty!"

A tall man covered in a dark cloak swept through the chilly palace that was his headquarters, and he parted through many of his soldiers as they saluted him. He raised a hand in slight acknowledgment and continued his trek to his throne room. At the end of the alignment of soldiers, the last one called out, "...So you have sought him out, Your Majesty?"

Continuing to walk, he motioned to a man off to the side of him to follow. The man nodded and followed him as they traversed through the palace.

"...I've been to see him, Haschwalth."

Jugram Haschwalth, the most loyal of all his Stern Ritter, sauntered behind him. He, like himself, was dressed in a white military uniform. He, however, had on a white cloak emblazoned with the Wandenreich symbol. He had long, blonde hair.

"...Is he what you expected?"

The man closed his eyes as he hummed in amusement and commented, "I'd be lying if I said he was... For a man who has all but given up, he sure seemed to put up quite the fight...or chase, rather."

"...When do we bring him here?"

The man smiled and said, "Patience, Haschwalth... We have all the time in the world... He will come when he is ready... For now, the Stern Ritter are to standby for further orders... And I want you to return to your position."

Haschwalth nodded before disappearing, leaving the man to enter his throne room alone.

* * *

After their practice had ended, Tetsuo had ran off with the excuse that he had to meet someone, leaving Ryo alone with Ichigo as they argued through the town while searching for a place to eat.

"Really, Ichigo...? You spent the evening getting wasted, knowing that we had early practice? And what's with that chain?"

Ichigo closed his eyes in agitation and yelled, "I don't know...! Stop reprimanding me like a child! Go bother your boyfriend or something!"

She grabbed Ichigo by his cheek, much to his displeasure, and growled, "I can't believe you abandoned your friends to get shit-faced drunk...!"

"I didn't get drunk! I got into a fight and lost!"

Obviously she didn't believe that, as she pinched his cheek tighter, enjoying the painful noise he was emitting as attempted to escape her grasp.

"And you expect me to believe that a well-known karate champion like yourself just got his ass kicked outside of a bar...!? I'm smarter than that, Ichigo!"

"It hurts! Stop it!"

When she finally let go, Ichigo used that opportunity to gather as much distance as possible from her. She huffed in annoyance before retrieving her usual book and began reading.

"You're going to tell me the truth before the day is over with, Ichigo."

Ichigo frowned and attempted to soothe his sore cheek as he protested, "There's nothing to tell...! I just told you-!"

"Quiet. This is the restaurant."

* * *

_'It looks like it was designed in the Feudal Era or somethin'...'_

It was an old, rundown place in Ichigo's opinion. It seemed as if the wooden walls of the large shack was going to collapse on them at any given moment. Ryo turned to Ichigo and angrily sighed when he voiced his opinion out loud.

"Stop overreacting, Ichigo. That's the theme of the restaurant."

Ichigo deadpanned, "I didn't know a homeless shelter could be a restaurant theme..."

"How rude... Hurry and check your wallet. Make sure you have enough for the both of us."

_'Wait, what? When was I assigned as the fund-dispenser? If I didn't know any better, I'd say Ryo was forcing me on a date...and the fact that Tetsuo conveniently disappeared... Damnit...'_

Sighing both in his head and outside, Ichigo reluctantly reached into his pocket for his wallet as the dark-haired waitress came over. After receiving his plate, he said a quick prayer before moving to devour his plate.

Across from him, Ryo aimless picked at her food, seemingly too distracted by something. She placed her hand on her jaw and watched her friend stuff himself. Realizing he was being watched, he briefly lowered his bowl to leer back at her with narrowed eyes.

"...So...about earlier... What really happened, anyways? I've known you since high school, and even though you were quite the delinquent, I know you aren't a drinker. Why won't you tell me what actually happened?"

Ichigo frowned and repeated, "I told you... I got roughed up in a little scuffle... No big deal...and I'm not a delinquent."

"And I meant what I said earlier... The only way someone would have beaten you is by killing you. From what your dorm residents told me, there were a few cuts on scrapes on you... The worst of which was on your back."

Ichigo blinked in surprise before quickly stating, "I meant I...uhh...had gotten hit by a car... I actually won, but the guy did a hit and run after getting back in his vehicle...," and, with a hand on his back, falsely groaning, "I can still feel that windshield..."

"Your spine was entirely misaligned... And someone said you fell from the rooftop... You shouldn't even be movi-"

As she kept going, Ichigo finally had enough and yelled, "Just drop it! I'm alive, so there is nothing to worry about!"

He noticed that she had flinched under his rage, so he calmed himself down and continued eating, albeit slower than before. After a moment of silence, Ryo finally spoke again.

"...So why haven't you told any of your friends and family?"

She knew she was reaching dangerous territory, but she, as well as Tetsuo and all of her friends in Karakura, really wanted to know. It really has bugged her for a long time that he refused to see his family and friends.

Ichigo's scowled deepened, as she was reaching dangerous territory. He looked down at his food and grumbled, "I just don't want to see them... I can't look at them the same- You know what... I'm outta here...! I don't wanna talk about this!"

Shaking his head, Ichigo jumped to his feet and knocked over the table as he turned to leave the restaurant. Still in shock, Ryo quickly protested, "Wait! No, Ichigo, come back!"

_...Please, come back... We're all waiting for you..._

His forehead began aching in agitation and rage. He gripped at his head and began flailing around the restaurant, scaring some of the nearby customers as he angrily crashed into their tables. Ryo quickly ran over to him and grabbed his arm to try and calm him down.

Ichigo roared and threw her away before charging out of the door, leaving Ryo behind in a shocked stupor as she watched him leave. Her instantly moved to her cheek where a cold, painful sensation was emitting.

_'...What...was that just now...? Why did he...'flash' blue for a moment...?'_

Glancing back at their table, she noticed that he had left his wallet there. She walked back over to it and picked it up. She was going to leave until she found something interesting near the yen.

Where the bills where placed, a slip of note paper rested between them.

"Ichigo must have accidentally pulled this out when he retrieved his money..."

She picked it up and prepared to place it back before she caught a small peek of the words. Knowing that Ichigo would be angry with her for reading it, if he ever found out that is, she completely unfolded the note.

_...I will give you until your final week to make a decision... Understand what has been given to you, and do not take it lightly... The Wandenreich awaits you..._

* * *

Ichigo slowly stumbled down the urbanized streets of Kagamino with no intended destination on his mind. He came upon a large bridge overhead a large river of water. Leaning on the wall, he stared into the reflection of the surface.

_Big brother!? What are you doing!? Stop it!_

_ ...What kinda person are you, huh!? Ichigo, you're crazy!_

And then those memories returned to him like a fist to his gut, causing him to slouch against the wall and rest his face on its edge. He stared into space as a feminine voice called out to him from behind him.

"...Ichigo...?"

Even though he had heard her, he made no movement to show that he did. Ryo stepped closer to him, though still keeping him in arms-length distance.

"...You...uh...you left your wallet...at the restaurant."

Ichigo slowly turned to her and absentmindedly grabbed it to put it in his pocket. He froze in the middle of his action, however, when he noticed Ryo's face. A large, swelling mark was there, consistently flashing blue every few seconds.

"...There's...there's a bruise...! Did...did I...!?"

She seemed to look everywhere but him, answering his question immediately. He placed his hands on his forehead and groaned loudly before collapsing back against the wall.

"Ryo, I'm so sorry...! I didn't...I didn't mean to...!

_...What kinda person are you, huh!? Ichigo, you're crazy!_

Ryo grabbed her other arm and turned her head to side as she mumbled, "...I was just roughed up a little... It's no big deal... I'm still alive, so it's nothing to worry about."

Even though she was trying to joke with Ichigo, he didn't see it that way and had retreated further into himself. He felt her hand rest on his shoulder as she whispered, "It's alright... Ichigo, don't worry about it... I just wanted to make sure you were okay..."

_You're not good at protecting anybody, ya know? You cause more harm than good._

Ichigo gritted his teeth as he attempted to shake away the memories. Even worse, he felt Ryo's hands leave him, and her footsteps moving further and further away.

"...Ichigo, I'll see you at practice tomorrow, alright? I promise I won't tell anyone..."

He should have reached out to her, told that he wasn't up to feeling alone. Instead, he allowed her to gone her own way, leaving him behind.

_...Ichigo, I'm so sorry..._

Whenever he was alone, the memories came back, full force. It was like... he could never escape them, no matter how hard he tried... But something...something finally snapped him out...

...and it was the scream of the woman that just left him. His eyes widened as he could clearly see what was causing her to scream...even though he had not seen one in over a year.

* * *

"...Welcome back, Master Uryu... I've remade all of your things for you..."

A voice grunted back, "Thank you, Mrs. Shisui... You may go, now."

The red-haired maid nodded before stepping out of the boy's room and leaving him alone.

Uryu Ishida was a dark haired boy with bangs the rested on his right side. He wore a casual white suit with a black undershirt, along with a pair of glasses.

He closed the door behind the maid and walked past a set of pictures. Each frame featured a varying set of individuals, though one stood out the most, as it was the only picture that was when he was young.

Around nine-years old, the picture consisted of himself and the spiky, orange-haired enigma that was Ichigo Kurosaki.

He himself made no glance to it as he moved to his window and stared out of it blankly. He sighed to himself when he heard his door open and turned to say, "Mrs. Shisui, you've done a great job. There's no need to-"

"Boy, do not speak to me as if I'm the maid."

He frowned when he realized it was his father, Ryuken Ishida, standing at the door way.

Ryuken Ishida had white hair that spread across his forehead. He was dressed in a more formal suit, fitting for the head of the Karakura Hospital.

Uryu snarled and asked, "What is it that you want?"

Ryuken's eyes narrowed and he reprimanded, "Do not speak to me with that tone. Anyway, I'm here to tell you that I'm going to your aunt's house. If you wish to go, I'm leaving now."

He abruptly turned on his heels and walked away, leaving Uryu to his own devices. He sighed and quickly followed his father before he left the premises of their large home.

* * *

A monster is what he would have called if it he hadn't been informed about the afterlife... A large, dark-green Hollow with a goblin-like appearance and an Oni mask held Ryo in its hand, and Ichigo could only sit there and watch in shock as he hasn't seen one in ages.

"Ahhhhhh! Help!"

That immediately snapped him out of his stupor, causing him to search around the area for a weapon of some sort. The closest thing he could find was a pipe, which he picked up and began charging to the Hollow.

"Oi, put her down, you damned beast!"

The Hollow turned its attention towards the incoming teenager and simply smacked him away from its vicinity, sending Ichigo flying over the bridge and into the water. It was as if the world slowed down to him as he heard the screaming of the writhing girl in the grasp of the monstrous Soul, and he once again felt the woes of failure.

_You're not good at protecting anybody, ya know? You cause more harm than good._

The waters below embraced him in its darkness as he felt himself sinking further into it.

Again, he wasn't any help to anybody...

His body began floating adrift, and he came to rise above the waters, though he was still on his back. He was mentally preparing himself for the blood-curling screams that would be the end of the Ryo Kunieda. When he opened his eyes, he was shocked into nearly sinking back into the water.

A tall blonde man with a white cloak stood gazing at him with a blank, condescending look... What was shocking was the fact that he was standing upside down, his feet glowing with the same sort of energy that the dark man from the other night used...

"...Is that it? You're going to simply give up? After His Majesty has given you such a gift?"

Gift? If he was talking about that man from before, the only gift he gave him was a hole in his chest and a broken spine.

"You know what it is, do not pretend... Not if you want to save that girl. Even you should now understand...what that chain represents."

He felt it pooling beneath, the feeling... The feeling of combat... His hand gripped the chain on his chest... He understood its basics...

'_...So it was...a Quincy Cross all this time...and I never knew...'_

"The Wandenreich has given you the key to the door in front of you... If you should choose not to open it, then farewell, Ichigo Kurosaki..." was the last words of the man before he disappeared from Ichigo's sight.

The basics...of the Quincy... Yes, he remembered Uryu and his techniques well... In his hand, he held the power to fight back once more...

* * *

When she watched Ichigo sink into the water, Ryo knew that the both of them were done. There was no way this...this blurred _thing_ would let the two of them roam free. As if the thing knew what she was thinking, it began clicking its teeth together as it slowly moved her to its mouth. She screamed and screamed, though she knew it was definitely in vain...

...Until her face was splattered with blood, not from her own body, but from the bloody stump that was once the the monster's arm as a blue flash of light removed it.

She fell onto her backside as the monster above her roared in agony. It wasn't until she looked over the monster's shoulder that she had finally seen who had saved her.

Floating through the air as with his white jacket billowing in the wind was Ichigo Kurosaki, who brows furrowed in the presence of the monster. In his hand was a large, glowing hooked cross.

"Don't look so surprised, Mr. Hollow. We're just getting started."

* * *

Trivia:

-For this story, I'm using the proper wording of the Quincy names. (Wandenreich instead of Vandenreich, Yhwach instead of Juhabach, etc.)


	3. Superhero

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

_'...Ichigo...?'_

A few more beams of light was emitted from the weapon in his hand, which struck the Hollow's skin. He flipped over the monster and skidded back towards Ryo, picking her up in the middle of the action. He gave her a slight grin and apologized, "...I'm sorry I was late, Ryo... I'll explain everything to you when I'm done."

Still shocked and confused, she made no move to answer, or even gave a hint that she was listening, as he placed her on the ground and looked at the Hollow. He stood to his feet, his eyes flickering with the excitement of one regaining a lost treasure. He taunted, "...It's not her you were looking for, Hollow! It's me! Come and get me!"

The Hollow roared in anger before skipping across the bridge like an ape, charging Ichigo down with the intent to kill. He smirked and leaped into the air, aiming his Reishi Bow at the monster.

_'I gotta get this aiming thing down... It took three shots for me to finally take out his arm...'_

He let loose a single arrow, which soared through the air and embedded itself in the Hollow's... abdomen...even though he was aiming for the mask...

_'...Shit...'_

Ichigo raised his hand and bow in time to defend himself from the Hollow's powerful fist, which sent him flying back into a street lamp and knocking it over. Shaking his head to clear himself of the pain, he glanced up to notice a large object flying towards him.

_'A car!?'_

In one quick motion, he let loose another arrow to destroy the car before leaping through the smoke caused by it. Using a fragment of the car as leverage, he flew back towards the Hollow and began firing a series of arrows, striking both the Hollow and the ground it was standing on.

It seemed as if the arrows were only pissing it off, as it roared and picked up a large crate to throw. It was moving way too fast for Ichigo to move normally.

Suddenly, he felt a cold sensation wash over his feet. Looking down, he noticed that his shoes were flashing with Reishi, and a sudden thought came to him...

_'...I wonder...if it's the exact same as that technique...'_

When the corner of the crate only scraped the edge of his cheek, he smirked inwardly and took off into a rapid dash before using that technique again.

If the Hollow's face could be seen, it would have definitely had the expression of surprise as the man it was fighting had suddenly disappeared in a blue flash of light and appeared below him.

Ichigo held the weapon down, causing it to spin like a propeller. It began rapidly speeding up with the more power he placed into it. He reared his hand back, gripping the chain beneath the light so tightly that it began to cut into his palm.

"Alright, suck on this!"

He took a massive step forward and tossed the spinning disc of light towards the Hollow, who could only watch dumbly as its mask was sliced cleanly in half.

After sitting there for a moment longer, the corpse finally began to collapsing, completely disappearing before it landed on the ground.

Hunched over and panting from exhaustion, Ichigo finally released his weapon and held only its cross. He looked over to Ryo, who sat with her mouth agape as he stumbled over to her. As soon as he moved over to her, she gripped his arm tightly and pulled him closer while pinching at his skin, causing him to cry out.

"Explanation. Now."

* * *

"...Master Haschwalth... Thank heavens for your early return."

The blonde hummed to himself and mused, "There's no need to be so worried. It's not like I was anywhere dangerous... Just watching the kid that seems so important to His Majesty."

"...I always worry when you leave, Master Haschwalth."

Instead of answering, Jugram Haschwalth quickly stepped by his blonde attendant and moved further into his quarters.

"...So who is this man that has the Stern Ritter on edge?"

Haschwalth unclasped his cloak and threw it elsewhere, which the attendant quickly picked up.

"That's classified. To be exact, even the Stern Ritter have no clue why His Majesty constantly leaves the palace..."

The attendant nodded before folding his cloak up and putting away in his closet.

"But if you should know, it's Ichigo Kurosaki."

The woman showed slight surprise at hearing the name, and wondered aloud, "Masaki Kurosaki...had a child? I never knew that..."

"...The spell placed on him by his Soul Reaper father has worn off... We were able to trace him while he was weakened... But it seems someone else has their eye on him..."

In his hand, he dangled a chain made with a simple cross... One that His Majesty himself had created for the Kurosaki brat... He frowned and stated, "He already had a cross with him."

* * *

"...That monster you saw... That was what you call a _'Hollow'_... It's a spirit that's lost its purpose in darkness and seeks to consume Souls for their Spiritual Energy... A Soul becomes a Hollow when its Chain of Fate is broken before they are sent to Soul Society."

Ryo's expression would have made Ichigo laugh out loud if he wasn't speaking about something important. Her eyes widened considerably as she slurped her drink through her straw, as if she was listening to a very interesting story.

_'...She probably is... This little tale's probably more interesting than those books of hers...'_

After the Hollow attack, she and Ichigo stopped at a ramen take-out so she could finally hear Ichigo's explanation.

"...So that's a spirit gone bad? What about the good ones?"

As soon as she spoke aloud, a man with a chain floated by their table. Ichigo pointed his chopsticks at the person behind her, causing her to turn and quickly look around. The only thing she could see, however, was a moving blur.

"...That man behind you, though he might be nothing more than blur to you, is one of those good spirits...a Plus. They're normal Souls that wait for the Soul Reapers to send them to Soul Society."

After turning back to him, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Soul Society? Soul Reapers? Is that what you are?"

"No. Soul Reapers are Souls from the Soul Society that learned to fight for themselves...and they look like samurai. I'm what you call a Quincy...which is a Human that can weave Spirit Particles in the air together and form weapons out of them."

Ryo blinked before nodding her head in amusement before saying, "So...you're a superhero."

"...What? No, I'm a Quincy."

She narrowed her eyebrows and deapanned, "...Which you just told me was a Human with powers. You could be like...a superhero or something, you know, protect the city from evil and stuff... We just need to find you a cool outfit."

Ichigo chuckled and looked down as his attire, which was a white jacket and pants with a sky-blue undershirt.

"What's wrong with my clothes...? I think they fit."

The woman frowned in disgust and laughed, "No way, Superman! We're gonna get you a real outfit! I'll just call Ishida up and let him sew you up somet-"

Before Ryo could reach into her purse for her cell phone, Ichigo quickly grabbed her wrist and rejected that notion.

"Don't... Don't call Ishida...or anyone of my friends, for that matter... You have to keep this to yourself."

She stared into his eyes, which, earlier, were filled with mirth. Now, they were hardened with rejection and anger. She could only nod, and Ichigo let go of her hand and sat back in his seat.

Ryo frowned at her wrist and sighed, "Now, I know I wasn't angry with you earlier, but Ichigo... you really can't make a habit out of this manhandling thing."

Ichigo looked up as she pointed at her wrist. The Reishi flashed there for a second before fading, revealing a slight bruise. Before he could apologize, she held her hand up and mumbled, "Save it. I know that you suck at that Raichi-"

"Reishi."

She waved him off and continued, "Yeah, whatever. I meant you're pretty bad it... You did that to me earlier. You better learn how to control it soon so incidents like _this _never happen again."

Ichigo let a short laugh as he resumed eating his noodles... Though he should have known that the interrogation wasn't over. With Ryo, it never was.

"...So you were extremely adamant about not telling Ishida about this... And with the way you fought...you've done this before, even though you found that chain yesterday..."

_'...This woman...is really observant...'_

"...Is this why you ran away from Karakura?"

Ichigo scowled deeply, almost causing Ryo to wish she didn't ask. He closed his eyes and sighed, and she knew he wasn't going to answer. She shook her head and commented, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

He said nothing else, and the table was soon overcome with silence. Ichigo opened his eyes and played around with the chain on his neck while Ryo watched. Her attention was drawn back to him when he began speaking, much to her surprise.

"...Around a year ago, I met a man named _Kugo Ginjo_... He told me something about me that not even I knew... Told me that I had powers of some kind, something called _'Fullbring'_. Around that time, some man named Shukuro Tsukishima began targeting my friends, so I went to Xcution, Ginjo's little group, to gain the power necessary to protect them..."

_Do you really want to sit here and watch as all of your friends are struck down?_

For some reason, she actually recognized the name Tsukishima, though she knew she heard it from someone else... She just couldn't remember who...

"Tsukishima was dangerous... He was a Human with powers as well... His powers allowed him to insert his presence into the history of those he cut with his sword...causing them to recognize Tsukishima as someone closely connected to their personal lives, whether it was as family, friend, or lover."

That's right... When Uryu Ishida was in the hospital for being attacked, Orihime Inoue once mentioned him to her... I thought it was odd how she gushed over him, when she was just talking about Ichigo a few days before...

"...He attacked everyone closest to me... My sisters...Chad...Orihime...Tatsuki...Mizuiro and Keigo...even Xcution... Only Uryu, Ginjo, and myself remained aware of Tsukishima and his abilities. Me and Ginjo decided...to kill that bastard once and for all."

_...You and I are all that's left... We have to kill him..._

Hearing her friend speak of murder so casually actually frightened her a little... But after what she's seen, it mattered very little to her. And the man deserved death if he had the audacity to ruin Ichigo's life.

"...Tsukishima... He made me fight my friends... The people that I knew for so long...treated me like an outsider..."

_Big brother!? What are you doing!? Stop it! It's Cousin Shu!_

_...What kinda person are you, huh!? Ichigo, you're crazy! Attacking Tsukishima like that! He's your family, damnit! Apologize, now!_

"...But that power...wasn't worth anything in the end... Ginjo deceived me, revealing that he and Tsukishima were partners... And he stole my Fullbring... I've been powerless ever since... Forced to sit on the sidelines..."

_You're not good at protecting anybody, ya know? You cause more harm than good._

_...It's no use... This is goodbye...Ichigo Kurosaki..._

"...I couldn't... I couldn't look at my friends the same way... Not after that night..."

_...I'm sorry I was late, Ichigo..._

"...So when school ended, I left... I couldn't bear the thought of being powerless... I couldn't stand looking at them...while they pretended nothing happened... And encouraged me...to move on..."

_ ...Ichigo...? I'm really sorry..._

_...Please come back... We're all waiting for you..._

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance as he felt Ryo's eyes watching his every movement. She gulped and commented, "...But...you said it yourself... That Tsukishima guy was controlling them..."

He slammed his fist on the desk, which actually scared her a bit, and growled out, "It still hurts, damnit...! To hear that the _bastard _was the one to save Chad and his coin...! To hear that the _bastard_ was the one to save Keigo from the gangsters...! To hear that I cried with Tatsuki and Orihime while _he_ saved them from Sora... To hear my own sisters tell me that _he_ was the reason I survived that night in June...! Gaagghhh!"

Ichigo heaved out a large sigh before falling flat against the table and laying there motionlessly. Only a day ago, Ryo would have made fun of Ichigo for letting out his feelings like a girl... Today, however, after witnessing that Hollow, she finally realized that there was a lot more to Ichigo Kurosaki than the simple, pissed off Strawberry that went to Karakura High. She moved over to his seat and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her as she listened to him sob, "...I can't go back there...to Karakura... Not after I've failed them..."

The two fell into awkward silence, with small hints of sniffling coming from Ichigo. It wasn't too long until footsteps rebounded off the concrete behind him, and she rolled her eyes as she knew who was there.

"Whoa? What's up with this little bitch-fest? I didn't get the memo."

Ryo turned and glared at Tetsuo as he slid his way into the seat across from them, a carton of ramen in his hand. She scowled and mumbled, "Tch, Momohara... What do you want...?"

"...Man, you're always so hostile to me... I was looking for Ichigo... I checked both of your dorms, and they told me that you guys weren't there."

As if the statement he had made wasn't awkward, he resumed eating his ramen with a chill pace. Ryo, blushing slightly, narrowed her eyes and questioned, "How do you know where my dorm is...?"

Tetsuo blankly gazed back and dryly replied, "...Because I saw Ichigo and Satoda go there once..."

"Pervert...!"

The other male smirked and said, "Just lemme know if I gotta find somewhere else to sleep tonight... I'd rather sleep peacefully without crying, ya know?"

Ichigo sighed as the two began arguing again... But for some reason, it didn't annoy him like it used to...though he still managed to glare at Momohara. Ryo hugged him tighter and whispered, "Ichigo, you're going to have to go back one day... I know you really don't... Orihime and Asano calls me everyday to see if you're feeling alright... Even Satoda worries about you."

Upon hearing that, Ichigo quickly pulled away from Ryo and turned away, groaning, "No. I'm not going back... Not while I'm this weak..."

"...You don't wanna go back to Karakura...because you're weak?"

Ichigo and Ryo's eyes both widened, and he palmed his forehead. The girl sighed and mumbled, "Do you want to tell him, or me?"

* * *

"...You know... After you guys made that comment and brought me back to our dorm, I thought you guys were asking me to join in on your little sexcapades... I was just thinking that your boyfriend must be down for some freaky shit if he wants Ichigo and I to join."

Ryo frowned and asked, "Join in on wha- You're a sick man... I'd never ask you to jo-"

Before she could finish, Ichigo reached around and cupped her mouth shut, groaning out, "Don't fall into his verbal trap, idiot."

"...Holy crap, I was just joking! When did this happen!?"

Ichigo frowned and said, "Never... Now, I'm here to show you what I was talking about..."

"...I think sleeping with Kunieda here is more important! Where d-?"

He was cut off as Ichigo held his chain up with a single hand, and the familiar Reishi Bow appeared in his grasp. He quickly took forth aim and shot an arrow near his roommate's head.

That quickly put a stop to whatever Tetsuo was thinking, as his jaw dropped in surprise and he rolled over his bed to dodge. Emerging from the other side of it, he pointed towards the weapon and said, "That's bloody amazing! You gotta teach me how to do that!"

"...I can barely teach myself... And you gotta have the powers necessary to..."

Even that couldn't have halted Tetsuo's giddiness he exclaimed, "I know a live superhero... I can die happy now...!"

"...What the hell...? I'm not a goddamned superhero!"

* * *

"...What the hell...? Hey, Yuzu, someone's at the door! You want me to get it?"

A feminine voice echoed from the kitchen over the sounds of the washing dishes and answered, "No, don't worry about it, dear! I'll get it!"

The dark-haired girl with the ponytail shrugged and turned back to the television as she heard the footsteps drag across the floor towards the front door.

"I wonder who would be knocking at this hour?"

When the door was opened, Karin turned her head to see who was on the other side.

Ryuken and Uryu Ishida stood outside of their home, both with the same blank scowl that seemed to be trademarked with their family.

"...Hello, Masaki... It's good to see you again."

Masaki Kurosaki stood shocked at the door of the Kurosaki home. Her long, light-brown hair hung in her well-known wavy ponytail and she wore a simple blue sleeping gown.

"...Ryuken? What are you doing here at this time of night?"

He shook his head and said, "Not outside... May I come in...?"

Masaki pulled opened the door and allowed the two in with a simple smile and a wave.

"It's alright! Come on in! We already finished dinner, but I'm sure there's-"

Ryuken interrupted her as he and his son entered and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm not here for pleasantries, Masaki... It's quite important..."

The Kurosaki Matriarch blinked before tilting her head and commenting, "I kinda figured that... You never visit me on your own."

Even though he simply averted his gaze, Uryu smirked inwardly at the embarrassed expression shown on his father's face before the man said, "It's about your son."

The sound of the television was quickly muted, along with the sound of the washing dishes, as Yuzu Kurosaki peeked out from the kitchen and Karin Kurosaki twisted her neck to look back at the man.

Even Uryu's attention had snapped to his father as he stared back at Masaki, who had crossed her arms and glared at him.

"...And what were you doing near my son? I though I told you to leave him alone."

Ryuken was unperturbed by her angry leer and revealed, "...I heard from one of the maids... In one of my condos in Kagamino, a boy with orange hair crashed through one of my windows while on the run from a dark-haired man that was firing blue lights toward him."

Masaki's entire demeanor seemingly fell as her cousin continued, "He was thrown off a rooftop and shot by an arrow... I haven't a clue whether he's dead or not..."

* * *

Trivia:

-In this story, the Fullbringer Arc took place prior to the beginning, except there were no Soul Reapers to save Ichigo. This is also why he uses some of his Fullbringer Techniques while using his Quincy powers.


	4. Shadows Watch Me

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"Are the targets ready?"

Ryo gave Ichigo a thumbs up before running out of his way. Ichigo held up his Quincy Cross and allowed his Reishi bow to take shape once more. He took aim at the moving targets they set up in the personal gym and waited for the perfect shot.

From his side, Tetsuo quipped, "So...are these monsters stupid or something? Will they really let you sit there and take aim?"

"Shut up, Momohara..."

Ichigo fired a shot, which soared through the air, completely over the human-like target. The grinning monster mask with the _'X' _on its forehead seemed to mock Ichigo as he moved closer and closer to him.

"Gagggh! You broke my concentration!"

Ryo sighed from her spot and said, "For the first time, Tetsuo's right. That monster whooped your ass the moment you failed to kill it the first time. You need to be able to fire and hit a vital spot in less the time it takes for it to move to you...like now."

Ichigo scowled as he was soon face-to-face with the grinning mask, which had finally arrived in front of him via the mechanism on the ground. Then it began to move back as Ryo rewind the mechanism.

The Quincy threw his arms in the air as he fell on his backside in despair. Even worse, the woman who normally took his side was making fun of him.

"Alright, let's try again... This time, could you at least hit the thing?"

Ryo raised an eyebrow at his narrowed gaze and motioned to the moving target. Ichigo took aim and fired again. This time, he nailed it in the shoulder.

His hands went up in a victorious fist pump as he yelled, "Oh yeah, good shot!"

"...Great, now do it again."

Ichigo blinked and mumbled, "What?" before the 'Hollow' stopped in front of him, seemingly laughing at his failure...until he realized it was Tetsuo. The woman on his right palmed her forehead and groaned, "Just because you landed one good hit doesn't mean you're good. Shoot ten arrows on this next run before it gets to you."

He nodded and took aim again as it moved back into its starting place. As instructed, he quickly fired off ten arrows before the thing moved closer. The result shocked him and Ryo, while Tetsuo laughed, "Holy shit, you suck! You only got three out of ten! And two of them were in its legs!"

"...You are the worst motivator of all time. Screw this, I'm done. We're going home."

Soon, the three had filed out of the gym. While they were conversing, the three failed to realize that a man dressed in black clothing was splayed out on the entrance top. On his side was a sword, and he wore a straw hat on his head.

* * *

"Remember our study session tomorrow! Don't be late this time!"

Ryo smirked behind her book as she could imagine Tetsuo cursing under his breath as the boys separated from her to go back to their dorms. She flipped another page as she crossed the large campus grounds towards her own place.

"Maybe I'll call Satoda later on... We haven't spoken in a while..."

She moved closer to her own building and nearly made it to the entrance before she heard shuffling behind her. She snapped her head around and glanced out into the darkness of the night.

"...Is someone there...?"

She slowly edge closer before a slow clicking noise rang through her ears. She turned towards the bushes from which it emanated. A flash of red pierced through the darkness, followed by seven more flashes. Ryo froze as the eyes locked on to her, and she crept back slowly as a blurry leg emerged from the darkness.

_**"...You can see me?"**_

As soon as she realized what the blurry object was, she turned back and took off into a mad sprint to the inside of the building. She barely moved ten feet within the building she heard the breaking of the glass doors behind her.

_**"A human who can see me!? Your Soul...It must be delicious!"**_

She screamed as the large Hollow lunged through the hallway after her. With a total disregard for the hallway, the Hollow rampaged through the walls as it chased down Ryo. She quickly maneuvered around a corner towards the opposite of the building, thankful for the exit sign.

_'Shit! I have to find Ichigo, fast!'_

* * *

"Man, we got finals in a week... I can't wait!"

Ichigo had to disagree... He was still trying to find another place he could go to before the end of the semester.

"So what are you gonna do when you go back home, Ichigo?"

While his roommate was simply tossing his soccer ball towards the ceiling repeatedly, Ichigo sat at his desk going over his homework. He couldn't say that the question caught him off guard... He just didn't have an answer to give.

"...I don't know..."

Ichigo frowned at his paper before he started to write again, and then suddenly...he was hit in the head with the soccer ball. He turned back to Tetsuo and shouted, "What the hell!?"

"...Ryo told me about your family and friends and what happened... While I can't say I don't blame you for what you did... You can't blame them either. They're still your family, and your friends still haven't let you down."

Still rubbing his sore head, Ichigo groaned, "Not you too. The both of you should mind your own damn businesses... I don't have time for this..."

Ichigo reached around his desk for his CD-player and his headsets and returning to his work. Soon, he heard Tetsuo speaking again and took off his headphones. He turned back to him and growled, "What do you want no-?"

He paused as Ryo Kunieda stood outside his window, consistently knocking on it with hard strokes as she repeatedly turned and looked behind her. Ichigo jumped out of his seat and stormed over to the window and pulled it open.

"What the hell, Ryo? Why are you-?"

With a panting, heavy voice, she groaned, "Hollow...chasing me...behi-"

Ichigo's eyes widened as she was suddenly snatched from the window like a scene from a horror movie. He and Tetsuo rushed over to the opening and looked out, where they witnessed Ryo being dragged through the campus grounds by her leg.

"Ryo!"

Ichigo checked to see if his Quincy Cross was around his neck before he hopped out of the window after her. He turned back to Tetsuo and screamed, "Hurry up! After her!"

* * *

Ichigo saw the large, spider-like Hollow pulling Ryo back with its web. It was large and thin, while also being camouflaged with black and gray spots. Its mask was situated for its eight eye-holes, along with the canine-like upper fangs at the bottom.

The girl gripped the ground tighter as soon as she saw Ichigo and yelled out, "Ichigo, help!

"Ryo, I'm coming!"

He held out his cross and manifested his bow. Grabbing it with both of his hands, he reared back and empowered the bow, causing it to spin.

"Take this!"

He ran forward and threw the propeller-like energy towards the Hollow's mask. It saw the attack coming and jumped back, through it ripped through the web holding Ryo. Ichigo turned back to the incoming Tetsuo and yelled, "Pull her away!"

_**"A Quincy? You... You shall be most delightful! I'll just save that girl for dessert!"**_

Ichigo gritted his teeth and manifested another bow.

"The only thing I'm serving you is an ass-kicking! Open wide!"

He began firing off as many arrows as he could, though he could only hit the thing in its legs. After a moment of shooting arrows, Ichigo followed up with another of his whirling energy discs.

_**"Not so fast!"**_

As it came closer to the leaping Hollow, it exploded in its face, causing Ichigo to smirk.

"Heh, not so tough now, are ya? How's that for a meal?"

However, what shocked him the most was that a two large, black dots fell from the sky. Upon a closer look, each of them were smaller, dog-sized versions of the larger Hollow.

_**"Get him, hatchlings!"**_

Cursing, Ichigo moved away as two fell near him and began chasing him. He flipped back and skidded along the concrete sidewalk and shot three arrows towards the first one, causing it fall over. He turned towards the other and began firing, though it weaved out and around his arrows.

It lunged towards him, and Ichigo dove back as it opened its fangs to latch on to him. He then aimed his bow at it and fired as he landed onto his back on the ground.

"...Gotch- Holy shit!"

He stopped when he noticed that the large halves broke down into smaller pieces, and soon, tiny spider Hollows were scattering across Ichigo's shoes. He growled and stomped on many of them repeatedly, ignoring their shrills cries of rage as the continued to crawl up his leg.

"Graghh! This is disgusting! Get off me!"

A high-pitched voice, which would have been funny if not for the situation, yelled out, **"Never!"**

"Oh, fuck that!"

Ichigo jumped back and took aim with his bow before firing so many shots, Ishida would have been proud... If he knew or cared, that was. Eventually, when he finally stopped, he saw no life form attempt to move, which caused him to collapsed to his knees as he was drained of energy.

"Whew... For a second there... I was getting a little worri-"

He moved to stand before a torrent of violent Reiatsu raged behind him, and he swiveled around to see the spider reform itself from all of its hatchlings.

_'Crap! I shot them all, but it only made them smaller!'_

It was too sudden, and Ichigo didn't have enough time to react.

_**"You should have paid more attention! It's done, Quin-!"**_

Ichigo watched in shock the mask of the Hollow suddenly broke in two, and then the entire spider split in bloody halves before fading away after being purified.

"...Man, I think I just saved your life, _Quincy_. You oughta thank me."

He reared back in shock as he found the tip of a blade directly in his face. Behind the sword, a tall man with a straw hat stood over him. His left hand was buried in his black clothing.

It wasn't until Ichigo saw that clothing that he realized that this man was a Soul Reaper.

"...Thank you for what? I've learned from past experiences that you've probably been here the entire time... If that's the case, then why'd you wait so late to do your job?"

From underneath the hat, the person smiled and said, "Smart kid. I have been watching you... I wanted to see if you'd make my job somewhat easier... I guess I figured wrong... Your aim really sucks..."

That comment caused Ichigo to frown, and he probably would have gone into a rant if he didn't hear the voices of his friends behind him.

"Ichigo! Ichigo, are you okay!? Did you get it!?"

He turned his head as Tetsuo, with Ryo over his shoulder, stumbled into the clearing. The boy looked around the clearing with total confusion plastered on his face. Looking back at Ichigo, he questioned, "Yo? Who're you talking to? I don't see anyone."

However, by the expression of Ryo's face, she could see the outline of the blurry, human-like figure in front of Ichigo. The man curiously looked at the girl and chuckled.

"...So this boy's Reiatsu has been influencing you, eh...?"

_'...For a Quincy...his Reiatsu signature is large... I never seen anything like it...'_

He then turned back to Ichigo and said, "Sorry, kiddo... But I'm gonna have to ask you to lay off the heroics."

Ichigo's eyes widened in confusion as the man elaborated, "You see, I'm the Soul Reaper in charge of Kagamino, Ekichiro Saido... I'm supposed to be cleansing the Hollows, not you."

"And I'm just helping my friends. If you can't get there to save them in time, then I need to do something. I can't wait on your worthless efforts."

If possible, the man's grin widened and he noted, "So we're reaching dangerous territory, are we? See, kid, you're saving the living from the Hollows, but not the Souls itself. Every Hollow you kill condemns another Soul to nothingness."

Ichigo frowned and he grounded out, "I wouldn't have to condemn them to nothing if you Soul Reapers would actually do your jobs! As long as you fail to protect my friends, I'll be the one to pick the slack up. End of story."

He turned on his heels and walked closer to his friends. The man behind him called out, "It isn't wise to make me your enemy, kid."

He ignored him as he aided Tetsuo with Ryo and walked them back to his the dorms.

* * *

From high above the clearing, Jugram Haschwalth stared down at the retreating Soul Reaper. He briefly had the thought of ridding him of his life for threatening His Majesty's new target, but thought better of it.

"...It's time you tried something new, Kurosaki."

* * *

"...Are you hurt anywhere, Ryo?"

The girl gritted her teeth and sat down on Ichigo's bed and grunted, "I'm fine. My leg's a little sore, bu- Ow!"

Suddenly, she jumped up and limped away from Ichigo's bed and pointing angrily towards it. Ichigo and Tetsuo raised an eyebrow as she ordered, "Ichigo! Move your sex toys!"

"...What?"

Ichigo reached around her for the object in question and felt cold metal between his fingertips. Frowning, he gripped it and held it for all of them to see.

It was a thin, silver-colored tube with a rectangular opening on one end of it. There were at least a dozen more of the tubes on is bed. He then realized that both of his friends were staring at him as well.

He frowned and mumbled, "What?"

Tetsuo deadpanned, "We both know that these aren't really sex toys, and they definitely weren't here earlier. Considering that unexplained cross has a similar pattern, I'm guessing that your little stalker gave you this as well. So we're waiting on you to tell us what it is."

Ichigo shrugged and and threw it back on the bed and answered, "I don't know... I'll figure it out tomorrow... Ryo, do you need me to walk you back to your dorms?"

Ryo shook her head and announced, "I'm staying here tonight. My dorm's practically ruined and I don't want to run into any other Hollows. Ichigo, I'm taking your bed, since it's less likely that a girl's been there."

The teenager scowled deeply, causing his friend to laugh out loud. She then turned to other bed and began rubbing her chin in though.

"...but then again... Tetsuo's also single... and pretty lonel- Nevermind. Ichigo's bed is probably the least sticky," Ryo said with a scrunched up nose before hopping onto Ichigo's bed with a loud cheer. The teenager glanced at his roommate from the corner of his eyes.

Now it was Ichigo's turn to laugh at the face Tetsuo pulled.

* * *

"...The boy got to it again."

Saido Ekichiro was now becoming highly annoyed. It seemed the kid really didn't give up...

It had been a few days since he had met Ichigo Kurosaki and since then, he seemed to have made it a goal to steal Saido's assignments at every chance he could get, though he _was _intentionally slacking off so he could do less work. He stood on top of a telephone pole as he locked eyes with the boy who glared at the Soul Reaper as he walked away with his friends, the female limping next to him.

"...And the kid really has no care for the afterlife whatsoever... Tch, and now the fatso is calling..."

He held up his phone as the static noise filtered through it, and the annoying voice of his Division's Lieutenant roared through the phone. Saido pulled his head away, allowing the large man to scream his nonsense into air.

_"You haven't been on your job! The Captain has to frequently report to the Old Fart about the sudden disappearances of the Hollows in Kagamino! Now explain these disappearances NOW!"_

Saido looked to the side and quipped, "You said 'now' twice... Pretty sure that's a redundant statement, or something..."

_"Don't backtalk me, you peasant trash! Why have you been slacking, Ekichiro!?"_

The Soul Reaper lifted his hat up slightly to scratch at his head and began, "That's...kind of a funny story, you see..."

_"Then maybe you'd wanna tell that story to the Captain herself!"_

He rubbed his cheek awkwardly and quickly stated, "No, there's no need to put her on the phone."

Saido was immediately floored when the unhappy, feminine voice echoed through the phone's speakers and growled, _"It's too late for that, Fifth Seat Saido Ekichiro... Is there any reason or explanation that you have for failing in your assignment? Let me know before your replacement arrives at your position. I will not report anymore failures to the Head-Captain."_

"Cap-Captain Sui-Feng! I...uh... You see, funny story, actually..."

Before he could stumbled any further on his words, the woman interrupted, _"I've heard that same excuse from this useless blub behind me. Funny stories don't interest me. If you don't explain this instant, your replacement shall terminate you with extreme prejudice... Is that clear?"_

The Soul Reaper had hoped that he wouldn't make a mess on himself at his Captain's offensive words, and quickly explained, "There's a Quincy living in this area."

There was a long silence coming from the other end of the phone, which almost caused him to cry for his Captain to make sure she was still there. He thought against it, however, as he was still afraid he might be executed.

Five minutes had passed since he told Captain Sui-Feng about the Quincy, and he was still waiting on her response. Anxiousness rose in his throat when her voice came through the phone.

_"...And why didn't you kill him already? The Quincy Massacre happened for a reason. If he's __interfering with your work...then get rid of him."_

The other line closed on him, causing him to let out a sigh in relief. He looked down towards the retreating figure walking with his friends and clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Sorry kid... It's nothing personal."

* * *

"...Captain?"

A petite woman, dressed in the clothing of the typical Soul Reaper, dropped the phone she was into and turned on her heel, allowing her white haori to wave behind her, along with her two long braids. Her short, dark hair covered her face from her chubby Lieutenant's confused as she walked past him.

She turned back and looked at him over her shoulder and announced, "You will leave as well... If Ekichiro and the replacements fail, I want you to end this Quincy with your own hands. Am I _clear_?"

The fat man leaned away from her frightening visage and stuttered, "Cry-Crystal... Captain."

The woman turned back and stormed out of the room with a number of dark figures tailing her every movement.


	5. Revolt of the Flower

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"Oh, my Ichi-baby! I haven't seen you in so long!"

_'Damn...'_

Ichigo had just awaken from a bad night of sleep. Ever since Ryo stole his bed every night, he was forced to sleep in his computer chair, which wasn't too bad considering he studied for his final exams every night.

However, that didn't mean that everything was alright. The other day, he had to deal with Ryo, who had broken up with her boyfriend and spent every waking moment sobbing in his sheets...

_ His _sheets! Those masculine sheets were meant for _his_ manly tears, damnit!

His joints were trembling in pain as he walked the familiar route to the showers and, a few minutes later, came back without a hitch...until now...when the effeminate male dove at him with his arms outstretched.

"Curse you, Ryouseika!"

The man whined as his crush's foot slammed into his face, causing him to slowly and depressingly fall to the ground. Even worse, Ichigo's foot never stopped its relentless assault as it drilled his head into the ground.

As this was happening, Tetsuo, dressed in nothing but a towel, walked past them towards the direction of the showers while brushing his teeth.

"Yo, Ichigo, Ryouseika. Still trying to get some ripe 'strawberries'?"

Ichigo was amazed that the man could even lift his hand up to give Tetsuo a thumbs-up after his head took such a pounding. This caused him to growl in anger as he continued stomping his head further into the marble floor.

Soon, everyone in the hall heard the commotion, and realized that the daily routine had started in the dorms and that it was time to wake up.

* * *

"So, _Ichi-baby_, what time is your last class? We could probabl-"

Ichigo scowled at the nickname and _accidentally_ elbowed Tetsuo in the face, sending him colliding into Ryo. As she dropped her book, she furiously grabbed the boy's shoulder and shoved him forward while moving to recover her book.

Tetsuo stumbled to keep his balance as he glared at the two and exasperated, "All this hostility's making me nauseous! What's wrong with the two of you?"

His roommate growled while muttering something inconspicuous and Ryo simple palmed his face and pushed him out of her way. He angrily rubbed at his nose and followed after them.

"Kurosaki, I told you to use protection! You're the reason her mood swing's so fucked up, ain't it!?"

When both Ichigo and Ryo turned towards him with a murderous expression that promised unyielding pain, he made the motion of zipping his lips shut and said no other word.

The following walk to the school diner was filled with awkward silence as the group sat and ate their lunches silently. When Tetsuo decided to speak, Ichigo elbowed his side. Turning towards the orange-haired teen, he whispered, _"What the hell?"_

_ "Her boyfriend dumped her a few days ago...He figured out that she's been staying with us... We got into an argument while you were in the shower because she wants to tell Satoda about the Hollows and my role as a Quincy in order to cover for her..."_

The other teen made a movement of understanding before turning back to Ryo, who glared at them both. She slammed her book closed and growled, "I can hear you assholes."

Ichigo's expression turned to shock before he buried his face into his bento, causing Tetsuo to the same. She sighed in annoyance before standing up and gathering her things.

"I'll see the both of you later."

The two boys watched as she stormed off elsewhere, causing them both to release a sigh of relief. Tetsuo clicked his tongue and turned to Ichigo to ask, "...Didn't you tell her to keep it a secret? Why's she upset about it now?"

Ichigo frowned at his food and said, "We had an argument about the Hollows... And Satoda..."

_ Ichigo sighed heavily as he put his clothes on and exasperated, "I understand that Satoda's your boyfriend and all, but I'm not telling him anything...and neither are you."_

_ "It's not like he's going to snitch on you or anything! He's a trustworthy person!"_

_ The teenager blinked and repeated, "No."_

_ Ryo angrily gripped the sheets of Ichigo's bed, causing his eyes to narrow as he prepared for her next move. She looked down at something in her pocket... Was that a slip of paper?  
_

_ "...Is this really because of that...or is it because he's from Karakura? Are you afraid that he's going to tell everyone there about where you're going?"_

_ Ichigo raised an eyebrow, as he had forgotten that the guy was from Karakura as well. But now that she put it that way... And what did she mean by that last part?  
_

_ "That's not fair... You told Momohara...! And you told me! What's so different about Satoda__!? It's not fair that __**your**__ secret has to ruin __**my**__ life!"_

_ He turned around angrily and growled, "He's angry because you came here! You should have gone to his room instead!"_

_ "And let the Hollows follow me there? With no way to defend myself? You're the reason I can even see these things in the first place! __**You**__ were the one to attack me with that Reishi crap in the restaurant! The monster wouldn't have grabbed me if __**you**__ hadn't struck me!"_

_**...You're not good at protecting anybody, ya know? You cause more harm than good...**_

_Ichigo's forehead began searing with pain once more as the memory returned, and he collapsed against his wardrobe with a slight groan._

_ He felt her hand grab his shoulder as she apologized, "I'm sorry... I, well... I'm not mad that you did that to me... I accepted that fact when you told me about the afterlife at the ramen shop... As your friend, that doesn't bother me..."_

_ Ryo watched as he looked over his shoulder and continued, "...I just wish...that didn't require for my own life to be flushed down the drain because of your secrets...and I hope you don't do the same to your closest friends either."_

_ He felt her hand lift from his shoulder as she moved to sneak out of the window as she usually did every morning._

_ "...I implore you to go back to your friends in Karakura... It would be a shame if you choose a bunch of strangers over the people you've known all your life..."_

"...That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard."

Ichigo's brows furrowed and he added, "She's right... My Reiatsu... It's influencing you two... Soon, the Hollows will be after you as well..."

"I meant from you, genius. Would you have told us about the afterlife if Ryo wasn't present with that first Hollow?"

The teenager frowned and looked away, causing Tetsuo to yawn and lean against his hand as he continued, "If you didn't, both of us would have been killed by now from hanging around you... But It ain't about Satoda or the Hollows..."

"Then, what is it about? You speak like you actually understand what's going through her mind."

Tetsuo blinked lazily and elaborated, "You've kept your friends in Karakura out of the dark, and she feels that you're doing the same thing to her."

"...I'm not keeping anything from her! And if that was the case, then why did she bring up Satoda!?"

He shrugged and replied, "Maybe she considers him a friend as well? He was from Karakura, so she's equating him alongside your friends... By not telling him, that's like not telling your friends... I think... Or maybe she believes you're hiding something... Kunieda's logic confuses me... Girls confuse me."

Ichigo dug his fist into his cheek and grumbled, "I know... Guess it's not just me... I told her everything I knew, so even I'm clueless as to what I'm supposed to be hiding."

* * *

"...She still isn't talking to me."

Ichigo and Tetsuo watched as Ryo made sure to stay ahead of them while the team jogged around the track. The other boy shrugged and commented, "She usually does this to me a lot... You just get used to it after a while."

They both sighed and continued their slow and steady trek around the track. Ichigo watched as Tetsuo's eyes locked onto one of the female joggers on the track and he hurried off with a quick wave towards the woman.

He sighed at his roommate's antics before continuing at his methodical pace. As he rounded the next turn, he heard a set of footsteps clapping behind his own. Ichigo sighed and pointed in front of him.

"...You might as well just run around me... I'm not moving any faster than this..."

He could hear the taunting voice of the person behind as they commented, "Don't worry... This is my favorite view, after all, Strawberry Yum-Yums."

Ichigo jumped when he felt something brush against his rear, and turned around to see the last person he wanted to see at that moment.

"Holy shit! Ryouseika!? You're not even on the track team!"

With an evil, perverse grin, the teenager easily caught up with Ichigo before he could get too far. He grabbed his shoulder and began biting at his ear until he could nibble on Ichigo's earlobe.

"What's with all this hostility, Kurosaki? Aren't we friends?"

Even though he knew he shouldn't have done it, Ichigo realized that he had no other choice. In a quick flash, he elbowed the pervert and disappeared further up the track and out of the reach of Daruma Ryouseika.

_'...If he says something to the coach, I can always say he's dehydrated and insane...'_

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked down to his right, where Ryo was staring at him in confusion. He stuttered in preparation to speak before he turned back and noticed that Daruma had dropped into a running stance.

"Ichigo, did you just use that Hirenkyaku thing...? Why would you do that where others could see...!?"

He turned around fully, running backwards as he kept his eyes locked on Daruma while wondering what he was going to do next. He quickly commented to Ryo, "I had to... Manhood was at stake..."

"...What?"

Ichigo's eyes widened as the effeminate male locked eyes with him and smirked even wider than before. Suddenly, he disappeared in a flash of light, one that was surely recognizable to Ichigo.

He yelped as his face was no more than inches away from Ichigo's own, causing the boy to turn around and take off using Hirenkyaku again. Ryo watched as the two flashes of light zoomed away from her and, in fear for her friend, took off in the same direction.

* * *

Daruma turned into the same alleyway that Ichigo turned in, though he was completely unprepared for the clothesline that flipped him onto his stomach. He swiftly got to his feet and turned with a backhand before it was caught by his target.

Ichigo's other hand balled into a fist and collided with Daruma's cheek, sending him back into the ground. He used his hand to recover himself and did a handstand to bring him to his feet. At the entrance of the alleyway, Ichigo popped his knuckles as he glared down at the smirking man.

"...This might be considered a hate crime... But I'm tired of you harassing me... This alleyway will be the grave for one of us."

The effeminate man's smirk widened and he said, "Then I better kill you quickly, so I can have you all to myself!"

The person took off into another charge, though Ichigo's foot brought him beneath the man's heels once again...and hopefully, not the last time.

The boy reached for his necklace and pulled it over his head before pointing it towards the other teenager's face, and much to his surprise, created a bright bow made of energy. Ichigo's left hand grabbed at the center and pulled back an arrow.

"...You thought I was kidding about killing you? I saw that technique you used... Are you working with that stranger? The one in the black robes?"

Even though he had the upper hand, Ichigo still felt unnerved by the consistent smirk on Ryouseika's face. He tilted his head upwards, placing the arrow directly onto his forehead as he replied, "Maybe. Are you gonna kill me for it? You better not miss, Berry Boy..."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He gripped the arrow tighter and pulled back more. He then whispered, "...Then this is the end..."

Ryouseika's grin widened as he whispered, "...Don't think of this as the end... _It's just the beginning_."

The Quincy's eyes widened, which was enough time for the other to launch his fist at Ichigo, sending him flying out of the alleyway onto the empty streets. Ichigo skidded back onto the pavement and took aim with his bow, firing a barrage of arrows towards the darkness.

"...That's it? I was surprised when you received this power, Ichigo Kurosaki. That wasn't the intention, but... Oh well.. What can you do about it?"

Ichigo watched as the man sauntered out of the alleyway without a scratch. His jaws dropped at the lack of damage, but Daruma interrupted with, "'How come he didn't get hit? I fired a bunch of shots, so he should've at least been hit', right? Well, quite frankly, your aim sucks... You don't know how to use that Ginrei Kojaku properly."

"...What?"

Ryouseika tilted his head to the left and elaborated, "Your Reiatsu... It's too large, as it's always been... Ginrei Kojaku, which is the evolved form of the original bow that all Quincy are capable of, is that bow you now wield. You do not have the proper control to use an average Kojaku, which is why it's hard for you to aim... Pathetic, really."

The Quincy growled and pulled his cross back, causing the propeller-like blades of the bow to spin rapidly in preparation for his next attack.

"...Oh... Getsuga Tensho, huh? Or did you change the name? You used to be quite comfortable with that technique when you were a Fullbringer."

Ichigo yelled out, "How the hell do you know so much about me!? Who are you!?"

Ryouseika tilted his head to the right and replied, "What can I say? I'm just..._your biggest fan_..."

Before Ichigo could launch his attack off, the inside of his opponent's foot sent him rolling against the pavement of the street. He could feel a great deal of the bones in his body breaking as he collided hard with a brick wall and fell forward.

_...Powerless... Once again, I'm powerless..._

His broken, battered body wasn't even able to move and get away as the man stood above him, the dark umbrella from that night in his hand. He was once again reminded of the situation with the dark figure that night.

"...You look kinda cute from this angle, don't you know...? I was just kidding about taking you all for myself...but then again... I didn't think I'd see the great _'Ichigo Kurosaki'_ down on all fours...like he's submitting to me..."

The effeminate male grimaced in disgust as Ichigo vomited blood on his shoes, causing him to whimper as he moved away from the pool of blood.

"Ugh, how revolting...! I hate getting dirty...! For that, I'm gonna-!"

Ichigo never discovered what he was going to do, as he heard a sickening crunch sound from above him, and realized that the man was no longer overshadowing him. Instead, Ryo stood above him with a pipe in her hand, the top of it dented and covered in blood.

"Sorry I was late, Ichigo... But you both were moving too fast for me! Luckily, I had the opportunity to find this conveniently placed pipe and save yo- Ichigo...? Ichigo!?"

_...I'm sorry I was late, Ichigo..._

While reveling in her successful hit, she never realized that Ichigo had long passed out from the pain, nor that Daruma had disappeared.

_...You're not a failure, Ichigo. Please don't be so hard on yourself..._

* * *

"He'll be fine... He seems to have suffered a lot of injuries from falling down the hill, but he'll recover... Whether it will be in time for the finals... I can't say..."

Ryo nodded as the doctor checked off Ichigo before closing the door behind and moving to another patient. She sighed heavily and collapsed back into the closest chair, rubbing her sore head in worry.

"Oi! Ichigo!"

She peeked out from between her eyes as Tetsuo rushed down the hall towards her position and skidded to a stop in front of Ichigo's door. He placed his hand on the knob and attempted to force it open, though it simply rebounded against him.

Ryo drawled out slowly, "It's locked... For now, he's sleeping..."

As if he was just realizing that she was there, he angrily turned towards her and gripped her shirt, much to Ryo's surprise. She was even more surprised when he began screaming, "Now, I know you were angry with him, but there's no reason to go around beating people up with a pipe!"

The whites of her teeth showed clearly through her angry snarl as she elbow-dropped him into the floor and roared, "I didn't put him there! I was saving him from that Ryouseika guy who attacked him!"

Tetsuo whined on the ground as he rubbed his sore head. He then lifted himself up and stared at her with confusion on his face as he asked, "Ryouseika? For what reason would he attack Ichigo...? You know, besides penetrating his bum with extreme prejudice?"

The woman's scowl deepened further as she growled, "I don't know, other than the fact that he used the same high-speed technique that Ichigo used."

"...Whoa, seriously!? You think he's working for the stalker!?"

She shrugged and answered, "Quite possibly. But it's odd... Cause the man wants to see him during finals, so I don't understand why he would send an assassin..."

Tetsuo glared at her in confusion. When she realized that he was looking at her, she quickly dug through her purse for the note and slammed it in the boy's lap. He quickly picked it up and began to read to himself.

"...It was in Ichigo's wallet the day of the first Hollow attack... Whatever powers Ichigo lost, that stranger gave it back, and he wants to see Ichigo during the finals..."

Tetsuo blinked and said, "Basically, Ryouseika and the stranger aren't connected? This attack was Ryouseika's own doing?"

"Exactly. So that makes me wonder... If Ryouseika attacked him...the week before he was supposed to meet this stranger..."

The boy narrowed his eyes and finished, "Then he attacked Ichigo to keep him from meeting him...without realizing that he actually made it easier... And what's this about a Wandenrei- Wait... This... This is why you were mad at him!"

The girl recoiled away from him and growled, albeit weakly, "W-What are you talking about!"

"Finals are next week, and this stranger's coming at that time... You thought he was going with the stranger instead of going home! But... I went through his wallet that day!"

_"Actually, I found it on your desk when I was searching for some mone- I mean, I...uhh...didn't know you were a hippie..."_

_ Ichigo raised an eyebrow before holding his hand up. Tetsuo tossed it at him, which he caught it and began studying it._

_ It was an odd chain, made of a cold steel and was molded into the shape of a swastika. He stared at it for a moment. He stared at it for a moment before holding his hand out and ordering,_ _"...Now give me back my money."_

"Since I had been with him all day, and he never used his wallet, the person must have added after I left and before you discovered it!"

Ryo's jaw dropped slightly as she stuttered, "W-Wait...then..."

"...Ichigo never read that note! He doesn't even know why you're pissed at him, nor does he know that he's supposed to even meet this Wandenreich!"

She collapsed into her chair in complete shock, as the only thing revolving around her mind was shame... She spent all of that time trying to convince him to return to Karakura because she assumed he was going to leave with this...this stranger...

"...I guess it really does make an ass out of you and me..."

Tetsuo threw his hands in the air and exasperated, "Damnit, now what!? If that guy comes to pick him up here...!"

"...We'll have to protect him then... We can rotate watches during our classes, and make sure that one of us is here at all times..."

The boy stared at her incredulously and held his hands out in disbelief as he repeated, "Protect!? What the hell are we gonna do against someone who _broke _Ichigo's back!?"

Ryo looked down at her feet and said, "I don't know... But I'm not going to sit here and allow Ichigo to be taken away... As a friend that he confided in, that is my responsibility. If you are too scared to do something, then leave... I'll just skip these last classes for the rest of the week and watch over him myself."

Tetsuo found it hard to not stare at Ryo in awe... For someone who was beating herself up earlier, this personality shift was a little over the top... She sounded like Ichigo for a second.

However, both of them was shocked as a voice echoed from the other end of the hallway.

"I was wondering if your little shouting match would end... You should understand that most humans shouldn't know a thing about Hollows... You should be glad that I put a barrier here."

They both turned in fear as a man with long-blonde hair stood at the end of the hall. He stood clad in white robes, which wavered behind him as he sauntered closer to them.

Ryo and Tetsuo quickly jumped from their seats and stood in front of Ichigo's door, though he noted that the boy did so with slight hesitance.

"...There's no need for that... I already went inside while you two were arguing... Just to let you know that watching over him is pointless."

The teenaged girl snarled and prepared to rush him, though he noticed that she was barely keeping herself steady.

"...All I did was put the note in his room and dropped off his forgotten instruments... You know, that note wasn't for you, little girl. Nor you, boy. Don't interfere with the will of the Wandenreich."

Ryo narrowed her eyes and questioned, "So you guys were stalking him...!"

"...Yes, and no. I have been watching him, but I'm not the man who attacked him that night... That was leader of the Wandenreich, His Majesty Yhwach... The one who unlocked his Quincy powers... If anything, girl, you should be thanking me, as he would have allowed you to die if I didn't tell him to use his Quincy Cross."

Tetsuo seemed to have finally found his voice, albeit shrill and frightened, as he asked, "What do you all want with him!? Why have you been following him!?"

"...As fellow Quincy, that should be obvious."

After a moment of silence, Ryo broke through it and cautiously asked, "So why...why are you freely answering our questions? I'm sure that everything you've told us should have been prohibited."

"...Because His Majesty has allowed it. We've been watching all of you, and have deemed you important assets to Ichigo Kurosaki's growth. If we were to eliminate you, that would cease to exist."

He then continued his trek down the hall, much to the confusion of the two. Ryo quickly yelled out, "Hey! I thought you were-!"

"His Majesty is coming for Kurosaki personally at the end of the next week. I'm here to make sure he survives until that point."

With that being said, he continued his swift movement down the white halls of the solemn hospital, leaving the confused teenagers behind. Ryo watched as the man left and sighed.

"...So they are definitely coming to get him next week... We have to find a better way to keep him protected..."

Tetsuo's brows furrowed as he turned to the woman next to him and incredulously stated, "...The guy _just _said he was another Quincy! He isn't Ichigo's enemy, idiot!"

"...And I _just_ said that information like that is _never_ exposed to outsiders like you and I! I've read enough to understand...that he didn't come here to tell us that we were important assets... He was telling us that we were expendable..."

* * *

A pair of binoculars focused on a window of a hospital patient. When he noticed his target, Saido Ekichiro smirked and whispered to himself, "...Making it too easy for me, kid..."


	6. Shake the Heavens

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"...You think it's okay for us to leave him alone? What if somebody comes while we're gone?"

Ryo's brows furrowed as she placed her hand on her chin and said, "No, not really... However, Ichigo's important to that Wandenreich, considering that guy said he was making sure he survived until the end of finals... That means we can count on him to at least safeguard Ichigo until we can call his friends..."

The two friends left the hospital to go for take-out for that night, as they had decided to spend the night in Ichigo's room. However, the words of the blonde man still rung through their minds as they attempted to figure out a plan.

Tetsuo, however, seemed to have nothing better to do than try to shut down her plans.

"Call his friends? What good is that gonna do? And what if the man is listening in right now?"

She sighed and explained, "I'm pretty sure he's listening in... There's not much we can do about him... But his friends were very close to him... Either they know about his Fullbring, or have some powers of their own... They could protect him a lot better than we could... The problem is..."

The boy looked down at his feet as soon as he realized what that meant... He groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He shook his head and exasperated, "...That means going behind his back and telling his friends, especially after he was so adamant about keeping them in the dark... But you're right... There's no other choice..."

"I know... Sometimes...I hate being right..."

Tetsuo frowned as he thought to himself, _'I hate when you're right, too.'_

"...So when should we call them? We could do it while Ichigo's sleeping..."

At that suggestion, Ryo placed her hands on her hips and yelled, "No, that's inconsiderate! We have to let him know, even he gets mad at us! He doesn't even know why his friends would even be coming here in the first place!"

"But then you'll give him a chance to run like he did before! If we call them while he's unconscious, then he'll be forced to confront them!"

While the two continued to argue on the best course of action, a voice next to them calmly mumbled, "My, my... Ain't you two the argumentative couple? So loud..."

Saido Ekichiro crossed his arms and sighed to himself as he stared around the plaza... Even though Ichigo was his target, he had to take care of the Hollow in the area first... And fast, while his friends were outside of his room and standing next to him.

He was completely unaware that both Ryo and Tetsuo turned their attentions to him. While he stood next to them, humming to himself, he was completely surprised when he was suddenly kicked in the back.

"Mind your own business! Nobody asked you!"

He hit the ground in complete shock and turned on his back to stare at the two teenagers, both with their feet outstretched and glaring down angrily at him.

"...Wa-Wait! You can see me? Both of you can see me clearly!?"

Tetsuo growled, "Considering that was my _foot_ in your _ass_, I'd say 'yes'!"

Ryo, however, frowned as she studied the man.. He pretty much gave away the fact that he was some kind of Soul... Not to mention that hat and outfit...

_"Soul Reapers are Souls from the Soul Society that learned to fight for themselves...and they look like samurai."_

"...You're the Soul Reaper that was talking to Ichigo that night... Back then, you were kinda blurry, but I remembered that there was something above the blurry area... I'm guessing it was your hat."

A dark, wicked smirk crossed the Soul Reaper's face as he nodded the affirmative. His hands dug deep into his sleeves.

"...I am as you say, Human... But it won't do you any good!"

He jumped up with an unrecognizable object aimed towards the two teenagers. They stared at it in confusion before a duck head emerged from the top of it with its mouth wide open.

"...What the fuck?"

Suddenly, it released a small cloud of smoke directly into their faces.

* * *

_** As I free fall...**_

_ How long has it been... Days? Months? Could be years... The only thing he knew was that he continuously falling..._

_**The silence in this hole is deafening... A muted, cold abyss...**_

_Just a continuous path of darkness... Nothingness... It felt...perfect  
_

_**But oddly enough...I feel no fear...**_

_Like... I belong here... In this emptiness... I understand..._

_** I'm at ease...confident someone will find me...**_

_ What is that white light...? Haunting...jaws wide... That light opens its jaws to me...and prepares to swallow me whole... I realize..._

_**But... Who?**_

_I am nothing..._

* * *

"Ms. Kasuki...Mr. Kenichiro... Mr...Mr..," The nurse murmured to herself as she traverse the pale, white hallway of the Kagamino Hospital. The silence was deafening, with the only noise being emitted was the claps of her footsteps, and the tapping of the pen against her clipboard.

As she wandered down the third floor, she glanced at the names on each of the rooms. She finally stopped at one that caught her eye, causing her to look down at her clipboard.

"Ah, here we go... Mr. Kurosaki."

She moved her hand to the door knob and slowly twisted it. She pushed it open slowly, as she remembered that his friends were staying overnight with him. She peeked in and noticed that the blankets they used were scattered over the seats.

She smiled at their messiness and fully opened the door while looking down at her clipboard. She absentmindedly moved to the side of his bed and sighed cheerfully.

"How are you feeling at the moment, Mr. Kurosaki? You took quite a beating, didn't you? Someone like you shouldn't be in the streets like a common thug, especially if you go to a university."

As the nurse continued to stare at her clipboard and mark off her next patients, she suddenly frowned when there was no response.

"...Well I guess you're still asleep... Maybe I'll jus-"

She paused and dropped her pen in shock... The messy bedspreads and the lack of body were the facts to prove that Ichigo Kurosaki was no longer in the care of the hospital.

* * *

"Your memories have been wiped clean! You have never se-!"

He was cut off by the sound of Tetsuo falling to the ground and screaming, "AAAAGGGHHH! He pepper-sprayed my eyes! It burns! Ryo, do something!"

Saido raised an eyebrow in confusion, wondering what had happened. He inspected the instrument and scratched his head as he mumbled, "...I don't think I hit him with the blinding gas... As a Stealth Force member, I can't make such an amateur mistake..."

Turning over to the direction of the girl, the only thing he was able to see was her angry red face before she jump-kicked him. As soon as he hit the ground, he began to crawled away from the raging female as she roared, "What the hell was that for!? What kinda man uses pepper-spray!?"

Saido sat on the ground with his mouth agape in shock. He couldn't believe this!

_'...No way... You mean these two have been spiritually influenced so much by Ichigo Kurosaki that the Kikanshinki no longer works? What kind of Reiatsu does that boy have!?'_

The man sighed as he stood to his feet and dusted himself off. He glanced down at the writhing boy on the ground, and then back towards the girl... It appears as if she was going to attack him again...

Saido held his hands up in a surrender motion as he replied, "...That spray was meant to erase your knowledge of me... It seems that Ichigo Kurosaki's Reiatsu have fully supplied you both with the sight of the afterlife... Such instruments can no longer work on you."

_'...I really need to get rid of this boy... If not, Kagamino would probably become the next Karakura...'_

The answer caused Ryo to frown... If she didn't know any better, it sounded as if he was suggesting that she 'knew too much'. Before she could question it, Saido commented, "I'm not gonna kill you, little lady. As a Soul Reaper, my job is to protect Humans from Hollows... To do so would go against my honor as a Soul Reaper, and a man."

In response, she deadpanned, "Or you're just a shameless pervert who believes he can peek at my chest without repercussions," as she noticed his eyes dropping far below her beauty mark.

Immediately, his eyes shifted to some other part of the neighboring area to avoid her own narrowed ones. By doing so, he noticed the shadows creeping around the building, causing him to heave out a large sigh. He turned his attentions back to the other two.

"...They're coming... You two should hit the deck."

Both of the teenagers frowned in response, while Tetsuo questioned, "Do what, again? I didn't quite catch that?"

The Soul Reaper looked all around him, watching as the multiple shadows ran along the side of the buildings. He mumbled, "...There are Hollows incoming. You should get down if you don't want my sword to cut through yo- Wait... too late."

As he finished, a crowd of Hollows surrounded all three of them, preparing to dog-pile them if necessary. Tetsuo cried out, "Oh shit!"

Ryo would have done the same, however, she dropped to the ground as the man had ordered. Much to her surprise, and Tetsuo's, was that the man stood there calmly, his hands still folded in his sleeves.

"...O-Oi, what are you doing!? Isn't this your job!? Why are you jus-?"

The two teenagers were rendered silent when slash marks appeared on every Hollow's mask, causing each of them to disintegrate into particles as they were purified. The only thing they were able to truly catch was the blood that splashed near their faces as Saido flicked his blade and returned it to its sheathe.

Ryo, however, was the most shocked. Unlike Tetsuo, who was only recently able to catch a glimpse of Souls and the like, she had recognized them for a long time. For that reason, she usually accompanied Ichigo during his Hollow hunts. And she's watched him struggle against various Hollows, barely managing to come out on top...

_'...But this guy... He killed every last one of them in a hundredth of the time it takes Ichigo to kill one...! Is this the difference...between a Soul Reaper and a Quincy...!?'_

_ "...__I'm not going back... Not while I'm this weak..."_

The male on her right breathed out, "...I'm starting to believe...we should let this guy handle things from now own... Ichigo completely pales in comparison..."

Saido chuckled to himself and commented, "That's the difference between a true Hollow hunter and someone who's just starting... Your friend just can't match my expertise... And I can see your nipple, young lady... Kukuku..."

He began to laugh out loud as Ryo angrily pulled her tank-top up when she and Tetsuo stood on their feet. She growled at his seemingly unending joy.

"...I was right... You are just a shameless pervert."

He continued to snicker to himself as she became more frustrated. He didn't stop until the boy asked, "So...you were here waiting for the Hollow? Or were you trying to beat Ichigo here?"

The Soul Reaper held his hat down and smirked as he explained, "Of course. As you said, this is my job... I'm the one meant to eliminate Hollows to keep the balance in the world, not that kid."

"...Keep the balance? What are you talking about?"

Saido's entire demeanor changed at the question. He sighed out, "You see...my Zanpakuto...or rather, this sword on my waist, is an instrument designed for purifying Hollows... As Ichigo Kurosaki might have told you, they are Souls who weren't able to depart with a happy ending... The thing is... Only Soul Reapers purify the monster, and give the Soul a proper burial..."

Ryo's head tilted to the side while she questioned, "A...proper burial?"

"...Sending the Soul to the Soul Society...or Heaven, whatever you would prefer... That's our job... But we...we exterminated all of the Quincies a long time ago for opposing that very notion... Because the abilities of a Quincy completely and utterly destroy the Soul..."

Both of the teenagers were rendered speechless by that revelation. Saido sighed and continued, "When that happens, less Souls are brought to the Soul Society... When Souls die in the Soul Society, they return here, reincarnated as Humans without any of their old memories..."

Before he could finished, Ryo did it for him.

"...And that destroys the balance between the worlds..."

While she couldn't speak much on that... Whether the Soul deserved that or not, it wasn't hers to judge... But does Ichigo know? Does he really understand that he's actually killing all of these Souls...?

"I'm kinda lost here... But are you saying Ichigo's gonna fuck the world up if he keeps killing these Hollows?"

The man smiled in response and gave a thumbs up. He laughed out, "Correct! Glad we're on the same page... Now you understand why I'm telling him not to hunt down anymore Hollows..."

So all of the helping she was doing for Ichigo... None of it was good? Was it really as Tetsuo is suggesting...that Ichigo isn't the good guy in this story...?

_"__And I'm just helping my friends. If you can't get there to save them in time, then I need to do something. I can't wait on your worthless efforts."_

_ "I wouldn't have to condemn them to nothing if you Soul Reapers would actually do your jobs! As long as you fail to protect my friends, I'll be the one to pick the slack up. End of story."_

...No... Even Ichigo knows what he's doing... He just...doesn't want us to get hurt, now that we're involved... But she suddenly became aware of something, and she had no idea why it took so long for her to realize.

He was telling them information even after trying to erase their memories... So why was he trying to get on their good side? What was it worth to try to paint Ichigo in such a bad li-?

"You're here to kill Ichigo, aren't you?"

Both Tetsuo and Saido turned to her in shock, and he pulled his hat further down his head.

_'...This girl...has an absolutely dangerous mind... That's definitely gonna get her in trouble one day.'_

"...You are one smart girl, you know that? How did you even guess that?"

_"...I'm here to make sure he survives until that point."_

While she didn't reveal any information about the man in white, she did include the Soul Reaper as one of those who would target Ichigo while he was unconscious. From Ichigo's words to those of this Soul Reaper, she was able to slightly piece together their argument... He was threatening him to stand down.

"...I'm not guessing. I know. And I'm sorry to tell you, but I don't give a damn about the dead. Ichigo might be condemning them to nothing, but it's to keep Hollows from taking more lives... If you deem him expendable for that, then I feel sorry for you Soul Reapers."

Even Tetsuo understood the killing intent hidden beneath the man's calm visage after hearing that statement. With that, and the sudden drop in temperature, he wondered if the man would actually silence them.

The Soul Reaper's eyes narrowed and he mumbled, "...Well, now... While I shall keep my promise of not killing you two, I'm going to have to silence you for now. I underestimated you Humans..."

Ichigo's friends took a step back as he took one forward. Before they could even react properly, he reached out and grabbed Ryo by the strap of her shirt. In response, she growled as she attempted to kick him away.

Saido shook his head and drawled out, "While mother always told me to never hit a girl... It seems I'll have to disobey her just this on-"

He was immediately cut off as he was sent reeling through a number of stands and buildings. He was finally able to slow his momentum down, though it was only after crashing into a large brick wall. He fell to the ground on all fours and discharged blood from his throat.

Ryo stood frightened as the man faded away from her sight. She turned back to see who had done this and was utterly surprised, along with Tetsuo. She quickly ran over to him.

"I-Ichigo!? What are you doing up? Shouldn't you still be resting from your injuries?"

However, the boy simply stood there, clad in his sickly white kimono from the hospital along with waist-high bandages that reached down to his calves. His bangs were overshadowing his eyes, preventing them from being seen.

Still confused, Ryo reached her hand out to grab his shoulder. Even still, he didn't respond.

"Ichigo...?"

She slowly eased her way around him to see if he was okay. Suddenly, his head snapped forward in the direction of the Soul Reaper, causing Ryo to jump away.

His eyes were a piercing gold, trimmed the darkness of his black sclera. He began panting and breathing harder than before, as if something was happening to him. Tetsuo's eyes widened as he noticed something else.

"Ichigo!? What's happening to your chest!?"

As the boy spoke, the skin in the center of his chest began peeling away, forming into a large circle.

_'A Hollow Hole? What the hell is going on!?'_

**"...I...will...help...you..."**

Ryo gasped as the raspy, strained voice emitted from Ichigo's throat. She had no idea if it was because he was fighting...whatever this thing was. His right hand raised up, revealing the silver tube from the other night.

_'...Did he pick that up from his bedside?'_

He gripped it tighter within his grasp, and suddenly, a beam of blueish-green light emerged from the tube. With that, he screamed out in an angry rage and disappeared in a green flash.

Tetsuo's mouth was wide open as he watched Ichigo leave. His own body twitched in fear as he pointed in the direction the Quincy was heading.

"What the hell was that!? Did he just... Did he turn into a Hollow!? And that...that lightsaber! When the fuck did he get a lightsaber!?"

Ryo shook her head and glanced at Tetsuo to yell, "I don't fucking know! Just follow him!"

* * *

Well...that was a surprise... He wasn't expecting the kid to show up like that... The injuries that redhead put on him should have left him there for at least the weekend...

Saido sighed and stood to his feet and prepared to draw his Zanpakuto. However, as soon as he stood, Ichigo Kurosaki floated over head with a large blade of Reishi in his Soul Reaper's eyes widened as he noticed his golden eyes and the Hollow Hole on his chest.

_'This boy... What the hell is wrong with this kid!?'_

He moved to his right to dodge the slash so the boy could crash into the building. Fully drawing his Zanpakuto, he moved into a stance and waited for him to come out.

"...Tch, I really hope... I don't have to release my Zanpakuto for this..."

He narrowed his gaze towards the hole as he waited for at least a minute. Easing his way to the hole, he was surprised when he heard the scream of rage coming from above him.

_'The rooftops!? How'd he ge-!?'_

His thoughts were put to a halt as the Hollowfied Quincy's forearm dug into his throat, sending him crashing into the ground. His right eye twitched in fear as he was face-to-face with the boy. He sweat ran cold at Ichigo's demented smirk, fully enjoying this little confrontation.

**"...Found...you..."**

He reached out and grabbed Saido's Shihakusho. Ichigo picked him up and tossed him in the air before swinging his blade like a tennis racket, which was promptly blocked by the Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto. Saido used the momentum to backflip away from Ichigo and gather distance. He panted heavily, struggling to regather the breaths he had lost.

_'...Fast...Powerful...and his Reiatsu dwarfs my own... I'm going to have to...release my Zanpakuto.'_

Saido held his blade in a typical samurai stance and whispered, "...Bloom madly..._Nadeshiko_!"

The Hollowfied Ichigo watched in confusion as the wakizashi in the Soul Reaper's grasp began turning black and was covered in dark-pink energy.

The Soul Reaper smirked and explained, "I can't tell you the abilities of my Zanpakuto, as per Stealth Force rules...but I doubt you'd understand anyway... It's all downhill for you now, kid."

He was right. The Hollowfied Quincy didn't understand, which was why he attacked with a loud roar instead of waiting. In response, Saido pulled his blade back and waited.

As soon as Ichigo had gotten closer, he swung and yelled, "Bloom! Nadeshiko!"

A large explosion of pink energy threw Ichigo off of his tracks and sent him flying away. The explosion continued, destroying many buildings and cars in its path. Finally clearing away, Saido noticed his body lying face-down, motionless on the rough pavement a slight distance away. He flash-stepped in front of his body and looked down at him with slightly depressing expression.

"...Sorry, kid... I don't think you were a bad person, though. You should at least be able to make peace in Soul Soci-"

He was cut off when the emanation of energy appeared, suffocating him under its deathly cold grasp. Ichigo's green Reiatsu began flowing off of him in heavy waves, mostly under his face area.

_'This pressure...! My Captain has nothing on this revolting pressure...! I just get the feeling...that it's taking my life force away!'_

The hospital's kimono partially tore away from his form as he stood up to his full height. Ichigo's expression was locked in a tightened grimace of pain as the Reiatsu formed a thick piece of white bone on the ridge of his nose. The Quincy gritted his teeth as his body began twitching and a flood of white gel dispersed from his mouth.

**"...No...more... No...more...Stop...!"**

Ichigo began clawing at his face as the gel spread across it. However, it was no use as he fell to his knees, writhing in agony.

**"Grraaaaaggggghhhhhh!"**

Saido raised his arm to block the explosive shock wave released after the boy's scream. His eyes widened as he was thrown away from the force.

"Shit! This kid's lost it!"

However, he felt as his sudden push began slowing down to a point that it almost felt as if he was floating through space. During this moment of pause, he was able to catch a glimpse of a small, whitish-blue orbs floating alongside him.

_'Reishi particles...?'_

Suddenly, as if being invaded by a foreign virus, the particle faded to a greenish-white and zoomed towards its epicenter, followed by Saido himself.

_'He's pulling me in! What power!? A Quincy absorbing a Soul Reaper!?'_

He stabbed his Zanpakuto into the ground to prevent himself from getting too close, as he watched the particles break down into non-visible sizes, fearful that the same might happen to him. He held his grounds as the vacuum-like center continued to absorb the particles.

It finally calmed down and returned to normal after a few minutes. Saido let out a sigh of relief as he fell to the ground, worn out from holding himself up for so long. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he slowly stood up and stared towards Ichigo, trying to see what happened.

The dark hole on his chest was suddenly filled with a bright light. His tattered kimono flowed to his right as he dropped the weapon into the ground and held his hand over it. The entire weapon, including the tube, was covered in flowing energy reminiscent of a fire.

His face, however, was a different story, consisting of a hauntingly white mask with large teeth and a blue hooked-cross, similar to his Quincy Cross and bow, in the dead center of it. It seemed to be forever trapped with the eternal grin that promised nothing but ecstatic destruction.

_Don't think of this as the end... It's just the beginning..._

* * *

Trivia:

-Ichigo's fall into darkness is the exact same as Masaki's. Only difference was that there was no Isshin to save him. The bolded parts are Masaki's words from the Manga.

-Nadeshiko is Japanese for "Pink Carnation"(Flowers), but it can also mean a "Virtuous Woman", with the second translation being a reference to Saido's perverseness. It's pretty similar to Benihime.

-I didn't want to use Black and Red as Ichigo's Hollow Reiatsu, considering he's not a Soul Reaper. Instead, I decided to use green, as a reference to Fullbringers.

On another note, I'm not going to use the Fullbringer=Hollowfied Quincy or Ginjo being a former Quincy that I've used in my previous stories.

-Ichigo's mask is the same as "White's", but with a swastika on it.

-The weapon Ichigo makes with the Seele Schneider is the same as the one Zangetsu(Quincy) summons in the Blade and Me 2.


	7. Shake the Heavens 2: Kill the Messenger

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

Saido's been around long enough to understand and hear most things... A lazy Soul Reaper from over a hundred years ago. He could have made Lieutenant...hell, he probably would have been made a Captain if he had just practiced his Bankai more... He just didn't want to buckled down with all of that work, so he has always underrated himself.

But still, he's been around long enough to hear those stories... The stories of the eight Soul Reapers who were Hollowfied by the Captain of the Twelfth Division, Kisuke Urahara. He watched as the man was exiled from Soul Society, alongside his accomplices, for the acts of Hollowfication... The attempt to gain the powers that a Hollow could possess.

"...I never knew...that was real..."

He briefly wondered if the kid knew Kisuke Urahara... Or if the man was responsible for this condition. Regardless of the circumstances, it became a personal goal of his now...

"...You sound like you're in pain... I'm going to free you from this torment!"

The Hollowfied Quincy roared and snatched his weapon from the ground. Feet pounding quickly against the pavement, he quickly crossed the distance between the two and swung at the man's head. The Soul Reaper quickly ducked under and slammed his foot into the being's gut, sending him skidding back down the concrete.

The powerful blow did nothing to stop Ichigo's relenting anger, which echoed from his blade as he swung again, this time releasing an arc of light that soared through the air towards Saido. The man sighed and shook his head.

"...Man, today's not my day."

Raising Nadeshiko once more, he pointed it towards the incoming arc of light and murmured, "Shoot, Nadeshiko."

The attack dissipated as it collided with the tip of Nadeshiko. Keeping his blade pointed at Ichigo, he fired another bullet of Reiatsu.

The Hollow's mask had tilted to the side before opening wide and swallowing the bullet whole, much to Saido's shock.

"...Well this isn't gonna be good."

Instead of what he was expecting, however, Ichigo's head tilted back, and the beam of pink light floated above him. Suddenly, more of the greenish-white particles began drawing towards him, slowly turning the pink into a whitish-brown color before fading settling into a forest green.

_'He's drawing Reishi from the environment to make that Cero larger! Shit!'_

* * *

Ryo and Tetsuo hurried down the alleyway closest to the battle. The male shivered once more at the ominous feeling being emitted just around the corner.

"...Do you think Ichigo's alright? I mean, did a Hollow get to him? What are we gonn-!"

Right as she was preparing to cross the threshold into the street, Ryo interrupted with a shout of, "I told you, I don't fucking know! That's why we're going to fin-!"

And she was interrupted by the large, beaming light that exploded a few centimeters in front of her face, sending Ryo to her rear end. The green, laser-like beam was nearly wider than the street itself, tearing through telephone poles, streetlights, and cars. Tetsuo's jaws dropped in disbelief at the damage that attack had caused.

"...Holy shit... What was that...? What the fuck was that...!?"

Even Ryo had no retort or explanation for this phenomenon. As she sat there panting from her near death experience, she heard another voice whisper behind her, "Your friend's pretty messed up... Not even I understand what is happening to him."

She and Tetsuo turned to see an extremely tattered Saido cowering behind a garbage bin. Ryo gaped as she stared at him, and it seems her friend knew what she was thinking.

"Why are you here!? Are you supposed to be out there, getting killed and shit!?"

The Soul Reaper awkwardly scratched at his head and complained, "You sound like ya want me to die... Anyways, this kid is beyond anything I've ever seen... I've alerted my backup to this area, so they should be here soon."

"Back up? I thought you were supposed to be strong and stuff!"

He looked out towards the streets after the green light had faded. He looked down and admitted, "Ichigo Kurosaki... I don't even know what he is... When I first met him, his power level wasn't even comparable to mine... After this Hollowfication... Not even a Lieutenant Soul Reaper could deal with him efficiently."

Tetsuo stared at the man incredulously while Ryo frowned in response, causing him to raise an eyebrow. She gritted her teeth and growled, "So your backup's coming here to kill him..."

Saido looked down at her and explained, "He's my target. Even worse, he's been submitted to Hollowfication... Therefore, he is not the Ichigo Kurosaki you know. You might as well give up on this crusade to-"

"Ichigo! Over here!"

Both Tetsuo and Saido were reduced to nothing but gaping mouths. Her friend glared down at her and exasperated, "Are you crazy!? He'll come this way! Why are you leading him-!?"

"Ichigo! He's here!"

The Soul Reaper's angry expression returned and he growled, "Damn you, little lady...!"

Ryo narrowed her eyes and whispered, "You should've thought twice before threatening my friend... I hope he kills you," before grabbing Tetsuo and diving out of the way. He drew his blade at the same time Ichigo appeared in front of the alleyway, and once was again a witness to the bloodthirsty smile of the Hollow Mask.

**"...Found...you..."**

* * *

Three figures clad in white stood afar as they watched the battle. They all wore the same thing: a white robe with a bib-like cape on their upper bodies, white boots, and a diagonal, black sash crossing over their left shoulder. The most interesting feature was the capped hood with the dark mask on their face.

They all focused solely on Ichigo as he and Saido's Zanpakuto clashed, releasing a shock wave that spread through many nearby buildings and caused them to strain and crumble. The tallest one on the left hummed to himself.

"Is that a Hollow Mask? Does His Majesty know about this Hollowfied power?"

The figure in the center murmured, "That is the reason His Majesty is interested in him. He's turned out better than we could have hoped."

The one on the right, the shortest of the three and the only female of the group muttered, "He's not even in control of himself. Nothing more than a rabid dog on the leash of a couple of Humans."

The center figure held his hand up towards and said, "The Hollow seems powerful because it's been sealed away for so long... It doesn't matter, because it will soon be dominated."

Ichigo kicked the Soul Reaper away from him and chased after him. What they noticed, however, was that the mask was slowly cracking after every blow he dealt to the Soul Reaper. The tallest one hummed again.

"...You are right, it's weakening... Not to mention his control... He's getting closer to manifesting his true Spirit Weapon."

The female looked past the clashing fighters, noting the two humans below them. She pointed at them and asked, "...What about them? Shouldn't they be disposed of?"

"Leave them be. His Majesty shows interest in them as well. Until he loses that interest, they are not to be harmed...lest you want to released that rabid dog on the Wandenreich... Now follow them before they get far."

* * *

**"GGGGGRRRRRAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!"**

Saido stared in wonder as the boy suddenly fell to his knees while gripping his mask tightly. He slowly gripped the handle of his blade and held it up to his face.

**"NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!"**

The Soul Reaper watched in confusion as he brought the pommel of the tube to his face and slammed it into his mask. The shards of the mask crumbled helplessly to the ground, leaving behind the angry face of Ichigo. The silver tube was once more visible as the weapon returned to his original form as a tube.

"...Sorry... That was just a distraction... The real fight starts now..."

_'Just...a distraction...!? That's all this kid can say about that...!?'_

Ichigo watched as the man dropped to his knees, barely keeping himself up with his blade. He breathed out deeply through his lungs before simply collapsing to the ground motionlessly.

As Ichigo stood there, just as out-of-breath as Saido was, he heard the sounds of footsteps behind him. He already knew whom they belonged to without having to turn around.

"...I'm sorry...about tonight, guys... I didn't know that would happen..."

Ryo solemnly placed her hand on his shoulder and simply patted it. He fell to his knees and sat there as he wept into the ground. She collapsed with him and simply held him there, while Tetsuo stood above him, gazing down with equal sorrow and, from what Ichigo could see, fear.

"...So you are the one he reported... The Quincy...or rather, something different after what I've just seen."

The three friends looked up as three shadowy figures appeared in front of them. They held the appearance of Shinobi...except the really fat one on the left. Ichigo's eyes widened as he noticed their uniforms. He quickly jumped to his feet and reached for his Quincy Cross.

"Shit... The Onmitsukido..."

Tetsuo looked at him confused, "The Stealth Force? What, are these supposed to be Ninja or something? So what's with the fat one?"

Ichigo's brows furrowed as he responded, "...In the Soul Society, there exists a group of special trained Soul Reapers known as the Onmitsukido, or the Stealth Force... I never knew that Soul Reaper was a member..."

However, the fat one wasn't hearing it as he yelled, "Hey! I take offense to that comment, you trash! Talk to me when you got the cash to back it up!"

Ryo moved closer to Ichigo as she deadpanned, "I guess your allowance is hidden in your gut, huh, fatso?"

"...It's not him that I'm worried about... It's the other two."

The chubby Soul Reaper's screams of rage fell on deaf ears as the other two stepped forward. They began to draw their Zanpakuto, causing Ichigo to grip his cross tighter.

"...I don't know if I'll make it... You guys better get outta here... Maybe the Hollow'll come back and save me, if I'm-"

He was cut off as an explosion of blue flames erupted in front of him. The other Soul Reapers jumped back while the fat one simply fell backwards. A deep voice emanated from within the flames.

"No. Ichigo Kurosaki, you are not ready for this type of combat. Go home. You are done here."

The blue flames dispersed, revealing three figures dressed in white robes. The black mask hid their identities, though Ichigo must have guessed that they were Quincy.

Ryo must have came to the same conclusion, as she whispered aloud, "Wandenreich?"

The robed figure with the feminine tone ordered, "Leave. Your fight has now become ours."

_'What? Leave...?'_

_ "__I've never known you to run, Ichigo Kurosaki. You can't protect anything while you're running."_

Tetsuo noticed that his friend was preparing to deny that order and fight alongside them, so he grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Ichigo... They've got this... It's best to leave for now..."

It took both of them to pull him back as he continued to fight their grasp, but he was finally dragged out of the alleyway. The only thing he could do in his weakened state was yell in frustration as he listened to the explosions emitting from the shadows of Kagamino's darkest streets.

_Disappointingly weak, Ichigo Kurosaki... But that was to be expected._

"AARRGGGHHH!"

_...Pathetic, really._

* * *

Complete silence embraced Ichigo and Tetsuo's dorm room as the friends sat there. Neither of them knew what to say to ease the tension, as they felt anything that could have been said would have immediately set anyone off.

Ichigo sighed as he held his Quincy Cross chain on his finger, constantly bouncing it on his desk. He began to twirl it in boredom. He he heaved a large sigh again and closed his eyes shut in annoyance.

"I know one of you wants to ask about it. Stop beating around the bush."

Both Ryo and Tetsuo slowly turned to the other before looking down at their feet in awkward silence. After a while, Ichigo opened his eyes and glanced at the both of them.

"...Fullbring...is a special power that only Humans under unique circumstances can use... That person's mother or father must survive a Hollow wound. That wound leaves behind traces of Hollow Reiatsu, which is transferred to the baby upon the birth. So a Fullbringer's Reiatsu is constituted by Hollow powers...like Ryouseika."

Both of his friends snapped their heads toward him, and Tetsuo whispered, "Ryouseika? He's a Hollow-Human thingy? A Fullthing?"

Ryo breathed out a sigh of annoyance and corrected, "It's Fullbring, genius. And I thought something was off about him."

"...Besides the fact that he wants to become butt-buddies with Ichigo?"

At that response, Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he noted, "You two seem like you're back to normal. I thought you would've been scared of me."

Ryo's eyes softened as she revealed, "I knew you were still there somewhere... Especially when he was trying to hurt us..."

On his own bed, Tetsuo coughed into his hand and mimicked in a deep, growling voice, "...I...will...help...you...," and began laughing as he fell off of his bed. He reappeared and pointed at Ichigo while continuing to laugh.

"You sounded like some tragic anime character!"

Ryo's brows furrowed at the way the boy was acting. Gritting her teeth, she accused, "And you were crying like a bitch the whole time! You should be glad that he 'helped you'!"

Tetsuo himself deadpanned before rubbing at his neck and agreeing"...Yeah, you're right... That was some scary shit, though, but at least its all good now."

Even though he didn't show on it in his expression, Ichigo was secretly glad that they weren't afraid of him...or at least they weren't pretending to...

"...Still though... Ryouseika wasn't a Quincy?"

Ichigo frowned and responded, "I thought he was at first... But the flash of light he used was green... That's a technique called 'Bringer Light', which is similar to Hirenkyaku... You might have seen mine..."

_Ryo gasped as the raspy, strained voice emitted from Ichigo's throat. She had no idea if it was because he was fighting...whatever this thing was. His right hand raised up, revealing the silver tube from the other night._

_ He gripped it tighter within his grasp and suddenly, a beam of blueish-green light emerged from the tube. With that, he screamed out in an angry rage and disappeared in a green flash._

"...And then there was that suspicious response..."

_"...You thought I was kidding about killing you? I saw that technique you used... Are you working with that stranger? The one in the black robes?"_

_ Even though he had the upper hand, Ichigo still felt unnerved by the consistent smirk on Ryouseika's face. He tilted his head upwards, placing the arrow directly onto his forehead as he replied, "Maybe. Are you gonna kill me for it? You better not miss, Berry Boy..."_

"...You think he's working for someone else in black robes or something? The Soul Reapers?"

Ichigo frowned as that single man came to his mind, and he replied, "Yeah. Something like that."

* * *

"Report."

The Emperor of the Wandenreich looked down at the three Stern Ritter dressed in the Pfadfinder garb. The leader of the three stepped forward and crouched onto his knees in front of the floating throne in the pure-white room.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, the one that you have selected, has fully grasped the concept of his Hollow. He was able to defeat a Fifth Seat Soul Reaper with ease after such a transformation."

Yhwach tilted his head to the side and asked, "How strong do you think he is?"

"...That mask... With that mask, he was able to achieve a level close to Letzt Stil... Alone, he is nothing special."

He stared intensely at the man, who began fidgeting under his heavy glare. He was surprised when His Majesty stood to his full height from his throne, laughing heartily the entire time.

"Nothing special? So you believe you are special, huh?"

With a wave of his hand, the man was decapitated instantly, though the other two behind him weren't affected by the sight.

"...If you were special, why did you leave three Soul Reapers alive?"

After a moment of silence, Yhwach reiterated, "That question... I was referring to you two. Is there any reason that you spared three Soul Reapers?"

Without skipping a beat, the female responded, "They are still present in Kagamino. While Ichigo Kurosaki was weakened from his earlier battle, we spared them to see how he would fare with them. Those three Soul Reapers were the Lieutenant, the Third Seat, and the Fourth Seat."

"...Yes, if you would've killed them, they would have investigated anyway... And then Kurosaki would've been forced to come face-to-face with a Captain. Very well... You two are dismissed."

The two nodded and bowed before moving towards the exit. After seconds of quietness, he looked down at the beheaded Quincy and questioned, "Who was this man that you sent in your stead, Haschwalth?"

As he spoke, Haschwalth emerged from behind the throne and looked down at the body. He shrugged and walked towards the door and commenting, "Just an average Soldat... No one special."

* * *

It had begun to storm, Ichigo noted, as he stood looking out of the open window of his dorm room. Both Ryo and Tetsuo had already fallen asleep, so he was up alone. In his right hand was his Quincy cross. In his left hand, he held a crumpled piece of paper.

He looked over at both of his friends before looking down at his own feet. His left hand began to loosen, and he dropped the torn piece of paper that unraveled as it hit the floor.

_...Ichigo Kurosaki... If you so choose to, you may come here to fully understand everything your mother has never told you. About you...and that fateful June night._

He found that piece of paper in his kimono pocket after coming back to his dorm, and he suspected that the stranger in black was the one who had given it to him... Whether it was a trick or not, he had to... He had to check it out, just to see what this man was going on about. He had a slight problem, though.

Where in the hell was that second half?

* * *

Trivia:

-The "Found You" comment that Hollow Ichigo makes is based on Racheal Foley's from Resident Evil Revelations.(Probably one of the creepiest things I've heard)

-Pfadfinder is German for "Pathfinder" or "Scout". This outfit is worn by the Wandenreich soldiers that declared war on Soul Society.


	8. Stealth Force

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"...It's suspicious... I haven't heard from Ryouseika in a while."

Ichigo frowned as he sat next to Tetsuo at the the school's last track meet. His team had already finished, and they had won... And he was pretty sure that the girls were going to win anyway, considering they had Ryo.

Now that they were done for the year, he could sit back and rest after leaving classes.

"...He's either running, or he was sure he put me in the hospital for good. I wonder why he would attack me like that... Especially if he is working for _him_..."

Tetsuo raised an eyebrow at his last comment but said nothing. He and Ryo still haven't told him about the note yet...nor that they were preparing to call his friends today. He moved out of the way as a large photographer slid by him, trying to capture pictures of the race.

"Yeah... Oh look, Ryo's coming across the finish line..."

And both of the boys mumbled at the same, "Again...," as she easily outran her competition. Tetsuo leaned back into the bench and sighed.

"...I hope she doesn't make us sign up again next year. I'm not wasting my time again."

Ichigo nodded in agreement as he placed his towel around his neck and stood up with his roommate as they prepared to walk over to the team's group meeting.

* * *

"Did you see the way Fuji made that turn in the last stretch? I almost thought she wasn't going to make it! Lucky, she was able to pull through in s-"

Ichigo immediately tuned her out as she rambled on and on about the track meet, as she's always done... It seems that the final meet is the worse time to be around Ryo, as she hadn't shut her mouth yet. He could only hope Tetsuo wouldn't say anything...

"...When somebody starts caring, we'll let you know... Please, for the sake of my ears, just shut up."

Now Tetsuo's gone and made it worse, as the two began a vehement argument right outside of their chosen restaurant. He watched as a group of three people exited the restaurant and quickly slid past the overweight man near the glass door.

"Say that again, Tetsuo! I'll dropkick you in the pelvis!"

Growling as he held open, he immediately closed it behind him, forcing his two argumentative friends to make face-first contact with the glass door.

"Ow!"

The two friends, while rubbing their sore noses, finally entered after Ichigo. Ryo whined, "Why would you do that to me, Ichigo...? I thought you loved me..."

He ignored both of them as they continued to moan in pain.

After getting their food from the waitress, the group sat at an outside table of the restaurant.

* * *

"And now we're entering the final stretch before leaving college..."

_'...And the week that decides everything...,' _is what all three of them thought at the same time, though for different things. He was more worried about the group of men behind him that had their eyes on him.

"Once I go home, I'm gonna go to the beach and pick some chicks up! I heard from Mizuiro that some of the girls have really developed in the past year!"

Ryo scowled at his comment and drawled, "What a creep. I hope you get rejected by all of them."

"Like hell! On this vacation, I plan on making Orihime mine! And maybe Mahana, too!"

_'...Really...? Who the hell do they think they are fooling...?'_

"That's too bad... Mahana likes older men, and Orihime still has eyes for her little superhero here."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and looked down at his bowl. Suddenly, he wasn't so hungry anymore. He really wished that they would change the topic already... This was too uncomfortable.

What he didn't know was that they were doing it on purpose. The blonde Wandenreich said that he left the note in Ichigo's hospital room. They wanted to see if he read it or not.

"Shit, you're right... Damn. Oi, Ichigo! You don't mind if take a try at Hime, do ya?"

With narrowed eyes, he glared at Tetsuo and waved his hand in dismissal while mumbling, "Knock yourself out... I don't care."

"Really? I mean... She really wants the _'D' _from you, if you know what I'm saying? You sure you're aren't gonna get her when you go home...?"

He waved him off again and repeated, "I don't care, Tetsuo. Don't ask me again."

It had gotten to the point where it was obvious that Ryo and Tetsuo were trying to see if he was going to Karakura, though he still didn't understand why they were so adamant about him going back.

However...he also couldn't tell him that he wasn't going home... That stranger, even if he didn't trust him, knows too much... He needed to know what it was that man was going to say to him. He just didn't have any idea about what was the name of his group, nor how he was going to contact them.

"Thanks, dude! You're like the best friend eve- Wait... Ain't Ishida trying to get in that ass as well? You aren't trying to hook me up with a girl that I gotta fight somebody over, are you?"

_'...I swear I'm going to kill these two.'_

Ryo must have been able to read his mind, for she punched Tetsuo in the shoulder and said, "Stop bothering Ichigo! I don't think he's in the mood!"

The boy stopped and looked back down at his plate. Even though she was actually a part of this crap too, Ichigo at least had to give thank to her for making him shut up. However, that still didn't ease any of his worries. The group behind him was still staring at him, especially the chubby one.

_'Where the hell are those Quincies when you need them?'_

He then realized that he would have to confront them by himself. He looked at Ryo, who had finished her meal and pulled out one of her books, and then looked at Tetsuo, who was going through his phone.

"...Guys, I have to go to the restroom. I'll be right back," was Ichigo's last words before he stood from his seat and turned to the the entrance to the restaurant. He slowly pulled the glass door open and entered.

Ryo frowned as Ichigo walked away, and Tetsuo was quick to ask, "Should we let him go like that? He was acting kinda suspicious..."

She leaned in closer to his ear and whispered, "...Because those guys from yesterday are here... Right behind us."

With eyes wide, he retorted, "Then maybe I sho-"

"What? Follow him? The only thing we'll do is get in the way... Besides, the blonde guy said he's always following him... What we should be doing is sending the text message to his friends."

* * *

He slowly crept across the marble floors towards the marked doors. The ringing caused by the opening door let him know that those guys were following him.

He opened the men's door and eased his way inside before walking over to one of the stalls and pretending to use it. He began whistling, completely aware of the large danger behind him, though it was mostly because of dangling jewelry. Right before the meaty, sweaty palms could touch him, he flashed out of the way and made him bump his head on the toiletry.

"What!? Where'd he go!?"

The large man suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around his throat and a deadly whisper of, "I'd recognize that gut anywhere, fat Ninja."

* * *

A red-haired man and a dark-haired man sat on the outside of a garage behind the restaurant. The redhead looked down at his watch before looking at his partner and saying, "Do ya suppose he's gotten caught already?"

"...The kid discovered Omaeda at the stadium when he was 'disguised' as that 'photographer'... It's whether or not the kid makes a move."

As soon as he said that, the large man burst forth through the wall nearest to them and was thrown into a large truck. They watched as Ichigo stepped forward out of the hole, a look of pure annoyance on his face. He looked at the average Soul Reapers standing to his sides.

The redhead on his left was dressed as an average Soul Reaper, with the inclusion of glasses and a pink furry sweater under it. The dark-haired one was also dressed averagely, only wearing a beige cloak.

"I thought those Quincies sent you fuckers packing."

The dark-haired man scoffed, "The Stealth Force doesn't fight a losing battle. We retreated and decided to find you ourselves... We were hoping you'd kill the fatso first."

"Don't talk to me like that, you off-brand trash!"

Ichigo frowned as he heard the large man's voice echo through the alleyway, and he knew he was once again trying to sneak up behind him.

_'You'd think the guy wouldn't fall for the same move twice, wouldn't you?'_

Again, Omaeda was rendered speechless as Ichigo flashed behind him with his Ginrei Kojaku pointed at the back of the man's neck.

"You're really slow for a member of the Stealth Force, you know that?"

However, this time, it was Ichigo who was rendered speechless as, for the third time in the past ten minutes, the man had managed to get behind him.

"You're an idiot if you think that is my real speed!"

Ichigo felt a meaty fist slam into his jaw, sending him sliding down the painful gravel and crashing into a dumpster. He heard the disappointing groan of the dark-haired one as he drawled, "...You let this fat fuck catch you off-guard? You're not worth my time, then..."

"What? You think you're stronger than me!? There's a reason I'm the Lieutenant and you're the Third Seat!"

The Lieutenant? Now he knew he was way in over his head... The Third Seat is the dark-haired one... Then the redhead must be the Fourth...

_'...There's no way... This is impossible... I should have killed him when I had the chance...'_

The man grumbled to himself, "Because you have tons of money buried in that disgusting thing you call a stomach, fatty."

The large man growled as he balled his fist up and roared, "I'm not fat! I'm plump! Poor people like you would never understand!"

Ichigo grimaced in pain as he slowly picked himself up. He barely managed to roll over to his knees to pick himself up. The redhead leaned against the wall and called out, "...Alright, hotshot _Lieutenant_. He's getting back up. Here's your chance to prove your worth... Without money, that is."

The Lieutenant smirked and laughed heartily as he taunted, "I'll finish this guy in five minutes!"

Breathing out heavily, Ichigo settled himself into a stance before reaching in his back pocket. He frowned, and then felt around again. That time definitely confirmed it for him.

_'Shit! I forgot those lightsabers!'_

"Whatever you're looking for isn't gonna save you! I'll kill you and-"

Before the man could finish, the dark-haired partner interrupted, "No, Omaeda. Don't kill him. Captain Feng told us to bring him back alive."

The large man turned around and stared at the two Soul Reapers in complete disbelief. He threw his hands in the air and complained, "When did she say that!? Why would she tell _you, _the Third Seat, and not _me_, the Lieutenant!?"

"...She told all of us, you lump of uselessness... When we reported Ichigo Kurosaki to her. The Head-Captain himself ordered us to bring this kid alive."

Omaeda's form dropped in disbelief as he began stuttering, "Y-you mean the old fart said this himself?"

The redhead raised an eyebrow and said, "...He's not that old, idiot."

"Oi! What's this about taking me alive!?"

The group turned back to Ichigo, who stood there with an angry look on his face. He heaved out a seemingly never-ending series of pants. The dark-haired man rose from his spot and hesitantly crept forward to the Quincy's position.

"...You mean... You have no idea of your father? Or anything he's done?"

_'No idea about my father? What bullshit is this man trying to talk about!?'_

"You mean his former occupation as a Soul Reaper Captain...? Of course..."

Of course he knew about him...and how he died... Of all things, he was weakened by a Hollow attack. All through the years, he would pop in for a visit, and then leave to slay Hollows. He was placed in the hospital for a month after the attack that weakened him... It always annoyed him how his father used to joke about it so much... It was apparently funny that a doctor like himself ended up in the hospital...

A month later, on the second of December, he died. Ichigo had only been fifteen at the time. And his mother had never been the same...

"...So who the hell are you to tell me what I don't know about my father!?"

The man sighed and said, "He doesn't know anything... Just knock him unconscious, so we can reeducate him at the Maggot's Nest."

Omaeda turned to him and snarled, "I'm the one in charge here, buddy! What I say, goes! And I will knock him out so we can take him to the Maggot's Nest!"

The other guy waved him off and turned around to walk away. The large Lieutenant turned towards Ichigo with a angry gaze that promised pain...or maybe it was just painful for him to move.

He unconsciously gripped his chain tighter as the man came closer.

_'There's no way... I'm not losing to this fatso...!'_

_**...Don't think of this as the end... **__**It's just the beginning**__**.**_

Ichigo gritted his teeth harder as he felt something. He had barely noticed that the Lieutenant had stopped in his tracks as he stared at the Quincy's hand.

"Wh-What's going on!?"

He looked down at his arm, surprised as his bow erupted into bluish, flame-like Reishi. The Reishi spread to his shoulder, covering his entire arm. A psychotic, maniacal expression appeared on Ichigo's face as he looked down at it.

"...It's him...! That Hollow... He hates this weakness! He's telling me... He's telling me to step it up!"

After a moment, he tried to pull his arm out of the flames, though it was tough. His face began twitching and sweating as he tried harder.

"Grrrrraaaagggghhhhhh!"

As if he was drawing a sword from the furnace, he pulled out a large instrument of Reishi. It took him a while to understand that this a sword, as he noted the wing-like hilt guard... It still flickered with the flame-like Reishi from earlier.

_The dark hole on his chest was suddenly filled with a bright light. His tattered kimono flowed to his right as he dropped the weapon into the ground and held his hand over it. The entire weapon, including the tube, was covered in flowing energy reminiscent of a fire._

Still in awe of his weapon, he nearly missed the sudden attack of all of the Soul Reapers.

The fat one known as Omaeda held his blade sideways in his hand and yelled out, "Crush him, Gegetsuburi!"

The blade transformed in a large, spiked ball with a chain attached to it like a flail. He twirled it rapidly around his fingers and tossed it towards Ichigo.

The redhead in the pink sweater swiped his hand along his blade and called out, "Rage Violently, Reppu!"

His Zanpakuto became a large, three-bladed weapon connected with a straight pole, with two edges extending like arrow points and the third shaped like a fan in between them. Ichigo could hear the buzzing saw-like sound as it soared in the air towards him.

The last one in the beige cape place his blade on his back and murmured, "Sever, Raika..."

The blade glowed orange, as if it were pulled out of the furnace, and it melted and forged itself to a new shape. It take the form of a white long-sword with a hook at the end and curved, shell-like pipes on the hilt. He reared back, created a fireball in the center of the hooks, and threw it forward.

As all three attacks descended upon him, Ichigo couldn't do anything but feel helpless. But he did have a slight hope... A slight one...

And just as he was almost willing to give up, a white flash appeared in front of him and sent the attacks away. Disappearing out of his vision, it quickly flew over to Omaeda and sent him flying back into a truck. It swept through and knocked the other two off of their feet before skidding back towards Ichigo.

As he watched the white flash land next to him, he couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"About time you showed up."

It was the blonde man from the day that Ryo was first attacked, and unbeknownst to Ichigo, was the one who provided him with the note and the Seele Schneiders in the hospital. He seemed to have forgone his original cloak and settled for a similar appearance to the masked people from the other night.

He briefly wondered if he was one of them from that night. The man mused to himself, "It sounds like you were waiting for me... Well, I apologize, but I had my assistants watch over you while I was taking care of business. It seems I arrived just in time."

Omaeda pulled himself out of the truck and its contents and angrily glared at the two Quincies. His face scrunched up in pain as he complained, "Hey, no help! Nobody said you could pass through here!"

The man narrowed his eyes and drawled, "Have you not noticed? Your fear is so great...that rather than see this for the matter of life and death it is, you have subconsciously chosen to refer to it as a matter of 'passage'. A foolish notion. This battle has already begun."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the man before thinking, _'That was a pretty cool line... I'll have to tell Ryo to write that down in my Superhero Journal...'_

In response, the man grabbed his Quincy Cross and held it down at his left side, allowing it to form a narrow cruciform blade. Ichigo was just as confused as the Soul Reapers at the appearance of the weapon.

_'...I... I didn't even know Quincy could create swords... I thought the silver tube was for that purpose until I made mine... But his is solid and metallic! Something tells me that his sword is a lot sharper than this giant chunk of Reishi!'_

"Your blade, Ichigo Kurosaki, is the result of trying to force it into its Spirit Weapon. The Spirit Weapon comes once you master your Spiritual Pressure."

_'...Is he reading my mind?'_

"No, I'm reading your expression."

Blinking in disbelief, Ichigo turned away from and faced the recovering Soul Reapers as they stood to their feet. The other Quincy, however, kept his eyes focused on Ichigo's sword.

_'...But I wonder...if he will achieve it earlier than planned... That __**thing's **__remnants is still trying to make a point.'_

He too turned to the Soul Reaper and used his right hand to draw his sword. Holding it out, he pointed it towards the the dark-haired one and mumbled, "I will be your opponent."

Before he could move, Ichigo grabbed his shoulder and said, "I'm going to take him... For speaking about my father... It's now a personal affair."

He looked at the young Quincy over his shoulders and said, "Fine. Do not let him overwhelm you... Large one, come here."

Omaeda face twisted into uncontrollable rage as he roared, "Don't order me around, you homeless vagrant!"

Next to him, the dark-haired one leaned over to the redhead and whispered, "This guy's dangerous...and he could definitely kill Omaeda... I want you to back him up, Kibune."

The man nodded before flash-stepping next to Omaeda. After that, he turned back to Ichigo and held down his blade Raika.

"...You made a grave mistake in challenging me, Ichigo Kurosaki. I am the Third Seat of the Second Division, Shusuke Amagai...and I'm more powerful than any Lieutenant."

Ichigo scowled and announced, "You think I give a shit about your power? If anything, that'll make this much more sweeter when I kick your ass!"

* * *

"Where's Mom, Karin? I haven't seen her all day?"

Karin looked down at her bowl of rice, blinking away tears as the steam flowed near her eyes.

_"One of his friends sent a text to my son, Masaki. They said that the Wandenreich is coming soon to recover Ichigo... What will you do, Masaki?"_

_ Karin watched her mother from behind the corner of the living room, wanting to see her reaction..._

_ "Orihime told me... If you hadn't noticed, they've already left... I'm leaving soon..."_

"Mom's not here right now, Yuzu... She's going to make amends..."

* * *

Trivia:

-Back From Black Arc has maybe 4-5 chapters left.

-For the review about Daruma, his background's going to actually come clean in a few chapters.

-Ichigo is still capable of using Ginrei Kojaku. He simply copied the Hollow and made a sword similar to it.

-I'm pretty sure most of you already know, but Shusuke Amagai and Makoto Kibune are from the Anime.


	9. Escape From Flames

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

_'Kurosaki needs to be careful about that one... He wasn't lying when he said that he was stronger than this one... I suspect he might ha-'_

"You'll pay for putting your cheapskate hands on me!"

Haschwalth snapped out of his thinking as the Lieutenant Soul Reaper swung his chain and threw it at him. He held his sword down and blocked it before suddenly appearing under the man.

"Not good enough."

He flipped over the man and slashed at the man's shoulder in mid-air, dislodging his arm from his body. He landed on the ground and skidded away as the large man screamed out and held his bloody stump as he fell to his knees.

Before he could even recover, he looked over his shoulder as the buzzing saw blade came flying at him. He shifted to the side as the razor-like edge past him and raised his sword arm. Like a rapier, he jabbed it towards the middle of it, splitting the wooden pole directly in half.

He watched as the Soul Reaper used his flash-step technique to appear above him and grabbed the two wooden poles. He suddenly screamed out, "Hado Number Fifty-Four! Haien!

Kibune then spun around in a circle and, from his own fists, released two waves of purple Reiatsu that burst into flames when they neared Haschwalth, who barely managed to dodge away from the explosion of flames.

_'I need to finish this quickly... However, if do, that Shusuke Amagai will probably escape, and inform the Soul Society about the Quincy if they haven't already done so... For now, you are on your own, Ichigo Kurosaki.'_

"Isshin Shiba would have been so disappointed in the way his son turned out..."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he thought to himself, _'Isshin Shiba...?'_

It seemed that the man wouldn't give him the time to soak that information in, as he immediately jumped in the air and tried to strike Ichigo. In response, he moved to the side as the hook crashed into the ground near his former spot.

Recovering on is feet, Ichigo took off into a mad dash and swung as soon as Shusuke raised his blade, creating a clash of flames. Shusuky gritted his teeth and grabbed the blade of Reishi before throwing it, and Ichigo included, away from him.

As the boy slid away from him, he looked down at his hand where sparks of Reishi emanated near his sleeve.

_'...Drawing Reishi from me, huh...? There's something off about this...'_

"What's wrong, kid? Is that all you got?"

Ichigo growled and gripped the blade tighter before jumping up and disappearing in the air. Shusuke frowned and raised his blade to his side to block Ichigo's surprise attack, creating another echoing clash.

The Quincy gritted his teeth and mumbled, "So this is the speed of a member of the Stealth Force..."

"To me, kid, you're moving in slow motion."

Ichigo scowled and disappeared out of his vicinity. Shusuke raised an eyebrow and commented, "Smart... You understand that I'm much faster than you, so you want to keep me in your sight... I want to demonstrate to you that its meaningless. With the power you possess, I could send your Soul to the afterlife in an instant."

He frowned, but waited to see what the Soul Reaper had in store. The man smirked and placed his other hand on his wakizashi Zanpakuto's hilt and pointed it at Ichigo.

"...Ban...kai..."

* * *

_It was only five years ago...when he was thirteen years old..._

_ "Goooooooddddd Mooooorrrrnnnniiinnngggg! IIIICCCHHHHIIIIIGGGOOOO!"_

_ Again...not this again! Ichigo raised his foot and kicked his dad right in the stomach, sending him through the wall and outside of the house. He ran to the open hole in the wall and screamed outside, "And you're going to be the one to pay for that!"_

_ As he was busy yelling at his father, he heard his mother and younger sisters rush up the stairs and opened the door to the entrance of the room. His mother clasped her hands to her mouth as she mumbled, "Not again..."_

_ "Mom! Tell Dad to stop harassing me!"_

_ The laughing and clapping from outside of the hole turned his attention to his father, who had crawled back into the house with a large grin on his face._

_ "That's my boy! You're entering that manly stage n-!"_

_ He was cut off as Ichigo kicked him back outside of the house. As the man landed in the garden of the Kurosaki Clinic, he angrily waved his fists up at his son and screamed, "You're a pain in the ass, boy! You're trying to kill your old man, aren't ya!?"_

_ "You're a Soul Reaper, and a Captain! If you died from that, you'd be the laughing stock of the century!"_

_ Before either of them could continue, Masaki Kurosaki cried out, "Both of you, shut up! Isshin, I told you to wake him up for breakfast!"_

_ Minutes later, the Kurosaki family had settled down in their kitchen and ate. However, there was something off..._

_ Yuzu looked over at her father, who had slumped down in his chair randomly. She let out a squeal of fear._

_ "Mom! Dad fell asleep at the dinner table!"_

_ Masaki looked over at him and calmly sipped at her tea before explained, "Your father is cursed with narcolepsy. He might...uh...fall asleep randomly at times. Just ignore him."_

_ Karin grimaced as his body slumped on her._

_ "He's drooling on me, Mom! Can I push him away?"_

_ However, Ichigo wasn't stupid, nor was he blind to the afterlife... He knew his mother heard 'Hat-and-Clogs'. He appeared randomly at his father's side and called him off._

_ The Soul Reaper robes and the white sash that his father usually wore on his shoulder appeared in an instant and took off with the store owner._

_ 'Guess he's just doing his Soul Reaper duties...'_

* * *

_ While his family was out shopping, he was tasked with watching over his father's body for that day, meaning he wasn't able to go outside. So he sat there and basically did nothing while his father's body remained on the couch._

_ "Ughh... Can't believe I had to use my Bankai for that..."_

_ Ichigo jumped up as his father's body began to groan, and he turned to him as he stood to his feet. He yawned loudly before looking over to his left._

_ "Oh, Ichigo... I didn't even know you were still here... I guess I came in through the back for nothing."_

_ Ichigo deadpanned, "Why would you have to sneak into your own house?"_

_ Isshin laughed awkwardly before saying, "Don't worry about that! Anyway, you can go outside or something... Sorry that you were forced to watch over me today..."_

_ "...All of my friends have gone to Naruki City... There's not much to do... So how'd Hollow hunting go?"_

_ He had noticed the awkward stumbling that his father did as he heard the question. He turned __around as if he was caught in a crime and quickly answered, "It was easy... I just had to-"_

_ "...You said you had to use your Bankai... Whatever that is."_

_ Isshin's face fell into a disbelieving expression as he murmured, "Stop paying so much attention, you brat..."_

_ "I have to. If I become a Soul Reaper like you, I don't want to be clueless."_

_ He looked down at his son with a look he's never given before... He never thought about that fact...that Ichigo himself could be a Soul Reaper..._

_ He smirked and chuckled to himself, "Well, if that's the case... Let's get started on Soul Reaper One-Oh-One!"_

* * *

He's learned many things from father about Soul Reapers, and after he died, he learned more from Urahara... One of the things they've always told him was the same thing...

_"Bankai is the mastery of your Zanpakuto. It is the last stage in your Zanpakuto's powers, and the absolute strongest... All Captain-leveled Soul Reapers, except one, are capable of this power."_

So this guy... he's definitely contending for a Captain's spot... No wonder 'Beanstalk' wanted to fight him instead...

_'Shit.'_

The man exploded into flames, firing up the entire area and turned everyone's attentions to him. The first thing that emerged from it was an enlarged sword with crimson-red blade edge and a hook at the end. Behind that was a massive shield, from which the blade emerged, and then finally Shusuke himself.

On the man's right arm, a black gauntlet shaped like a dragon fully encompassed the entire arm. A sash-like component went over his left shoulder and down to his waist, containing five burnt-orange orbs. A dragon's tail came down behind him, and attached the sash and the gauntlet together.

Raising the gauntlet arm, Shusuke released a burning blade of fire, similar to the Reishi sword emitted from the tube.

"You... Ichigo Kurosaki... I will send you to hell!"

Ichigo took a step back and readied his blade... Even if it was completely hopeless, he had to do something... He jumped forward in the air and gripped the blade hilt.

"Take this!"

He swung the blade releasing a wave of Reishi in an arc towards Shusuke. Because he immediately followed behind it, he never caught sight of the fact that the Soul Reaper had blocked it, and thus, was caught in a rude awakening when the shield-like handle-guard sent him into the ground before he could react.

From the other side of the area, Haschwalth frowned as he felt the release of the Bankai, though he remembered that Soul Reapers had to seal their powers...

_'Even if he's using his Bankai, he's incapable of releasing his full powers unless he cancels that seal.'_

He stepped to the side as Makoto ran by him and quickly swung, easily slicing deep into his shoulder and caused the man to kneel to the ground like the Lieutenant from before.

Ichigo was sent flying away by the flaming sword and landed painfully on his back. His eye's widened as the man jumped high above him and yelled, "Let the flames consume you!"

And just as he said, he felt the flames kiss at the back of his neck from the ground...

It was too hot... Burning... A raging inferno of heat, covering his entire body.

_...Please...don't worry about me, Honey... Moms are tough, don't cha know...?_

* * *

He flicked away the blood of the two dead Soul Reapers behind him and stared intensely at the tower of flames that erupted from the ground beneath Ichigo.

"Shit... I have to-!"

Haschwalth stopped in his tracks as a black, shadowy figure emerged from the flames. A white, circuit-board pattern circulated through the silhouette's body, causing his eyes to widen.

"I guess being her son does have its perks... The woman who possess the strongest Blut Vene of all..."

_'Even ten percent of my power...should have been enough to send him to oblivion!'_

Even Shusuke was confused as the flames dispersed, revealing a significantly worn down Ichigo. His clothes and his body was slightly tinged from the flames, but his body held himself upright even though he felt like collapsing.

"...Is...Is that all...? You ain't got...nothing else...?"

He couldn't believe it... This boy was all but torn apart, and he still had the balls to speak to him like that!? Shusuke gritted his teeth in anger and screamed out, "You think you're tough because you were barely able to survive such a weak attack!? You're trash, Kurosaki, and I will show you why!"

He flexed his right hand, emitting a static-like sound from and revealing the device place on it.

"Captain Feng!"

Haschwalth and Ichigo both stared in disbelief as an annoyed, feminine voice rung through the device and drawled, _"Watch your tone, Third Seat. Do not scream at me."_

"This is important...we've trapped Ichigo Kurosaki, but a friend of his has come to his aid... Fourth Seat Kibune and Lieutenant Omaeda are both K.I.A."

He frowned and whispered, "I request an application for the release of my limiter...so I can take them both down with my Bankai."

The area was render silent as everyone held their breath while waiting for the answer. In preparation, Haschwalth took a step forward and gripped his Spirit Weapon tighter.

After minutes of silence, the voice of the Captain came through and announced, _"Your application for license has been accepted. Do not fail."_

The Soul Reaper's grin turned particularly wicked as a tattoo of a tilted pasque flower appeared on his chest and then suddenly, he exploded into Reiatsu. Ichigo's eye twitched as he was nearly blasted off of his feet from the tremendous force, and had to keep his arms in front of him to keep it from hitting his face.

A demented laugh emanated from within the Reiatsu. The man explained, "This is the power of a Captain-leveled Soul Reaper! That tub of lard ain't worth shit compared to me or my Captain! Without that mask, you won't even survive!"

Suddenly, he disappeared from both of the Quincies' view. The only thing Ichigo was able to see was the tip of a hooked blade a mere inches from his face as it exploded into flames, taking on the shape of a dragon.

"Goen Ryuga! Homura!"

The circuit-board pattern of a hand appeared in front of Ichigo's face, throwing the flaming sword away from its original path, though not without repercussions. In Haschwalth's left hand, a large medal was aimed directly at Shusuke Amagai.

"...You did well as a test subject, Shusuke Amagai... You'll be the first person for us to test this on."

He stood, shocked and confused, as his Bankai suddenly disappeared from his body. He watched in disbelief and fear as his greatest weapon was inaccessible. His right hand reached forward in an attempt to make one last effort.

With the same, twitching hand still caked with the embers of before, he summoned a Reishi Bow. Grabbing the unusual long arrow from the blade, he brought it down diagonally across Shusuke's chest from his shoulders, through his open-palmed hand, and then to the bottom of his waist.

Ichigo locked eyes with the man as he stared solely at him. His mouth opened for a second, whispering only a word before he began bleeding profusely from his wound. His upper body slowly slid off of his lower body like butter before it fell to the ground lifelessly.

Even though he couldn't hear, he read his lips clearly...and it confused him more than ever...

_...Why...?_

Why did this Soul Reaper speak like that? After trying to kill him...after they've proclaimed themselves as enemies...why did he speak as if he was some kind of traitor?

Even so, it was still sad to watch him fall like that... Haschwalth turned back to Ichigo and reprimanded, "There's no point in feeling sad for an enemy... If you regret every enemy you kill trying to save someone close to you...you'll never grow."

_I've never known you to run, Ichigo Kurosaki. You can't protect anything while you're running._

With that being said, he turned away and prepared to walk off. Before he could get too far, he heard the boy scream out behind him. He turned back on his heels as Ichigo dragged himself over to his position. He looked down at him and immediately asked, "What do you want? You should be able to heal yourself."

Ichigo panted as he stood in front of him. He stood up and held his hand out as he prepared to say something else, but immediately shifted when he heard Haschwalth's words.

"Wait...what? What do you mean...?"

The man narrowed his eyes and explained, "You've been able to heal yourself before."

Before? Ichigo's never healed himself before. Is he saying that...he's been healing himself? How the hell...?

Ichigo shook his head and said, "Nevermind that... I don't want you to heal me... I've been meaning to ask you...about your leader... The one who attacked me that night."

Haschwalth raised an eyebrow as he waited for Ichigo to continue.

"...I got the note..."

_...Ichigo Kurosaki... If you so choose to, you may come here to fully understand everything your mother has never told you. About you...and that fateful June night._

"...He said he knew things about me...that I never understood... How do I meet him...? Where do I find him?"

The Quincy stared at him before sighing and shaking his head. He softly cursed, "Damn that girl."

When Ichigo gazed at him expectantly, Haschwalth answered, "That friend of yours, Ryo Kunieda... She has the other half of the note."

The young Quincy's eyes widened, and before he could muster up a response, the man interrupted, "I originally placed the note in your wallet, but you left it at the restaurant for her to find. That note explained to you that His Majesty wanted to speak with you at the end of this week."

What...? She...she held that note...and she never told him about it...? All this time, for these last few weeks...she's kept that hidden from him!?

_Ryo angrily gripped the sheets of Ichigo's bed, causing his eyes to narrow as he prepared for her next move. She looked down at something in her pocket... Was that a slip of paper?_

"...She was afraid of you leaving. When she discovered the note, she believed you would to run to the Wandenreich instead of Karakura..."

_The blue flames dispersed, revealing three figures dressed in white robes. The black mask hid their identities, though Ichigo must have guessed that they were Quincy._

_ Ryo must have came to the same conclusion, as she whispered aloud, "Wandenreich?"_

So that's why... That's why she was trying so hard to get him to go back to Karakura.

_"...Is this really because of that...or is it because he's from Karakura? Are you afraid that he's going to tell everyone there about where you're going?"_

_"...I implore you to go back to your friends in Karakura... It would be a shame if you choose a bunch of strangers over the people you've known all your life..."_

_'Was this what Tetsuo meant...?'_

___Tetsuo blinked lazily and elaborated, "You've kept your friends in Karakura out of the dark, and she feels that you're doing the same thing to her."_

_ "...I'm not keeping anything from her! And if that was the case, then why did she bring up Satoda!?"_

_ He shrugged and replied, "Maybe she considers him a friend as well? He was from Karakura, so she's equating him alongside your friends... By not telling him, that's like not telling your friends... I think... Or maybe she believes you're hiding something... Kunieda's logic confuses me... Girls confuse me."_

Ichigo couldn't help but stand there in confusion as that information circulated through his head. It hurt...it actually hurt more than it should have... What right did she have to make him go to Karakura if he didn't want to?

_**...She's always had your best interests at heart, Ichigo... Even more than a normal girl should have...**_

Was he wrong? Was he in the wrong because he wasn't willing to face his friends just yet? Or his mother...? Was Ryo right in taking away his options...so he could finally face them once and for all?

All he wanted was to get the power to be able to stand alongside his friends... But in every battle so far, he was useless... Saido saved him... The Hollow saved him... This...this Wandenreich saved him... There's no way he can stand alongside any of his friends when he can't protect a single one...

"...Hey, Mr. Beanstalk.."

The man, who hadn't moved the entire time, frowned and said, "It's Haschwalth."

"...Yeah, Beanstalk... I want to know...if this Wandenreich has powerful Quincy like you and the stalker?"

Haschwalth sweatdropped, as he had a feeling that this boy did not respect his superiors at all (___'Did he just call His Majesty a stalker?'_). He sighed and explained, "There are plenty of powerful Quincy in the Wandenreich..."

Ichigo looked down at his feet... He had to reassure himself... He had to get the power to redeem himself... There was no way that he would ever have to stand there in fear, or lie on the ground writhing in pain ever again.

Ryo and Tetsuo may become angry with him... They might even tell his friends...his Mom...Urahara...Yoruichi...and even the Ishidas... But for all of their sake, he couldn't stay here and hope he that he may get stronger...

Just having hope isn't enough to take down the Soul Reapers... It isn't enough to protect anybody...You need the strength to avert any pain from coming in contact with any loved ones.

"Screw the end of this week. Take me there now."

Haschwalth recoiled in shock as Ichigo stared at him with a determination he's never seen in anybody. He blinked and said, "You sure you're going to leave your friends like that? Without even saying goodbye?"

Ichigo scowled and moved to speak, but Haschwalth cut him off and spoke, "Tonight. That is enough time to give your goodbyes to them properly. They deserve that much, at least."

He then turned away and disappeared from Ichigo's sight. At that moment, Ryo and Tetsuo ran behind the area towards Ichigo as he stood there alone. Ryo's eyes brightened as she saw and she ran faster to meet him.

"Ah! Ichigo! I'm glad you're alright! I felt that pressure going off and saw the flames, and I got worried!"

He jumped in fright when he felt a hand touch him and twisted in the air to discover who sneaked behind him. He blinked when saw Ryo stop in front of him, and Tetsuo followed after.

"Bro, you look like shit! I'm actually surprised that you won... You kinda have a record for getting your ass-!"

Ryo growled and smack him in the face, sending him to the ground. She turned back to Ichigo, noticing that his gaze turned blank as he stared out into space.

"Ichigo, don't mind him! However, you are pretty injured... We should head back to the dorms now so we can do something about that..."

However, even she noticed that he was distracted by something else, even as she pulled him away from the area.

* * *

"Your Majesty. I've returned."

The Quincy Emperor stood at the balcony of the his ice empire, watching all of the frosted buildings with slight interest. He never turned around, even as his subordinate entered the area.

Haschwalth eased his way forward before coming to a stop behind his leader.

"...I see... And why are you not watching Ichigo Kurosaki?"

The Stern Ritter sighed and spoke, "The boy wants to come here immediately...as in tonight."

Yhwach did a double take and turned around to face Haschwalth and whispered, "So it actually worked, did it? Your plan?"

"Yes."

The towering man smirked and said, "That was a little too much, wasn't it? Intentionally splitting the note up to create distrust among them..."

Haschwalth gave no answer as he watched His Majesty walk by him.

"Where are you going, Your Majesty?"

The Emperor stopped before stepping into the palace and said, "Where else? I'm going...to pick my child up from school..."

* * *

Trivia:

-Just to address this to all, as two reviews asked, the only Canon event was the Fullbring Arc. Up until that point, Ichigo was unable to access any of his powers. Ginjo steals his Fullbring, rendering him weak again, and Ichigo leaves to Kagamino for a year.


	10. Everything but the Rain

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

It had taken an hour, but she was finally here... She squeezed her way past the other passengers and exited the train at the Kagamino Train Station...

But it has been a year since she's last seen him... This time she will make sure he stays for sure...

But as she sat there all alone, she sighed.

_'I wish Uryu's and Chad's train would hurry up...'_

* * *

Tonight... Tonight, he would leave to the Wandenreich... That man's note said he knew the answers to what truly happened that night... The night he his and mother was attacked.

Because that was the night his mother and father changed completely... His father suddenly developed 'narcolepsy' and his mother...

Ichigo shook his head to clear his thoughts before he got too depressed. He would be meeting other Quincies soon, just like his mother and the Ishidas... He would learn how to actually use all of abilities...

Then... Then he'll come back.

"Ichigo... I see you're still up."

He stood there and stared out at the storming night through his dorm window. Glancing to his left, he noticed that Ryo was wide awake and staring at him. He briefly wondered in she knew what he was going to do...

As a matter of fact, he actually assumed she knew what he was planning to do.

"So are you. Why haven't you gone back to sleep?"

She lifted herself up from the pillows of the bed and stared pointedly at him. Blinked a few times as the storms outside illuminated her face, and she murmured, "You forgot to say goodnight."

Shit. She definitely knows.

"Well, goodnight."

She simply looked at him, which was starting to grate on his nerves. He looked down at his watch and noted the time...

_7:13  
_

They never gave a specific time nor a place. Maybe he should just leave and hope they appear soon.

Ichigo moved over to his computer chair and picked up his jacket. While putting it on, he explained to Ryo, "I'm going for a walk."

She said nothing as he walked to the door and closed it behind him on his way out. He slowly eased his way down the hallway while mentally counting down.

_'...Five... Four... Three... Two... One...'_

He then turned around to see if she was there, though he was surprised when he didn't see her anywhere. Frowning as he turned the corner towards the lobby area of the building, he wondered if she was really going to follow-

"I'm looking for my boyfriend's dorm... He's Ichigo Kurosaki... You know, spiky orange hair?"

He turned towards the front desk, and noticed the short, black hair of a girl leaning against it as she argued with the resident assistant. The man pointed behind her, and she turned and locked eyes with Ichigo. He stood with his mouth agape as he watched Ryo turn around and walk over to him.

_'...Track star for a reason, I guess... She actually climbed out of my window and beat me here... In less than a minute, no doubt...'_

She placed her hands on her hips and groaned, "How long were you gonna keep me waiting in the rain!? I had to wait until another boy even let me in!"

Ichigo scowled as the snickering of the senior behind the desk grew louder and turned away to leave the building. He already knew that she was still following him. As he hurried down the sidewalk, she ran next to him and began walking alongside him.

_'I can't believe she did that...'_

"I actually thought about following you the normal way... But I didn't think you wanted to explain to the front desk that you've been sneaking a girl into the male dorms."

Ryo, always thinking ahead... It seems she never changes... He sighed and shook his head. While not paying attention, he accidentally bumped into someone and absentmindedly apologized before moving around him.

Neither one of them ever realized that they had passed the maroon-haired menace who was watching them as they left through the rain.

* * *

"It's odd...we've been walking for hours, but you haven't reprimanded me or told me to come back. You haven't even said whether my decision was a bad one."

He truthfully had no idea how long they had been out... Surely they were past curfew...

Ryo sighed and sadly mumbled, "Would you come back if I told you to? Would you listen to me if I said you're making a bad decision? I'm a logical person, Ichigo, not a dreamer."

The two sat underneath the glass box of a bus stop, in order to get out of the rain, and so Ichigo could finally understand why she wasn't fighting his decision.

It was odd... He expected her answer, yet didn't at the same time...

"...Then why are you here? If that Haschwalth or the emperor himself comes to get me, they'd probably kill you... That would be a stupid thing to die for."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and scoffed, "Hypocrite. You'd risk your life to save us, wouldn't you? Besides...if I did die, would you come back to avenge me?"

"...No comment."

She giggled, something Ichigo's never heard before, and mumbled, "That sounds like something... the Ichigo that I know would say..."

The two sat in silence as the storm continued to make its presence known. It was becoming slightly annoying to Ichigo... It had to be some kind of omen...

"So how did you know, anyways?"

Ryo looked at him with confusion and he elaborated, "That I was going to the Wandenreich...?"

"...Because the blonde spoke to Tetsuo and I outside of your hospital...he told us that he was ordered to follow you and make sure you survived until the end of the week...and I knew that he saved you earlier... It was only a matter of time before your supposed weakness caught up to you and you asked to go with them..."

Ichigo frowned and said, "Supposed weakness...?"

"...I think you're strong, but I know you wouldn't agree... Otherwise, neither one of us would be out here."

He looked down at his palms and sighed. This awkwardness was really getting to him. As he spoke, a bus pulled up to the stop and nearly splashed water on the two. Ichigo made his way out of his seat as the doors opened and looked back to Ryo before leaving the bus stop.

"...I'm sorry...but...tell Tetsuo I said goodbye..."

She simply stared at him and shook her head.

"No... I'm sorry."

He frowned in confusion at her words, though she turned away from him. He was just going to ask her what she meant until he heard his name... Barely, as it was nothing more than a soft whisper under the echoing drops from the heavens.

"...Ichigo...?"

His body froze up... That voice... He hasn't heard that voice in a year now... Why was she here!? Who the fu-!?

He turned back to Ryo, who leaned back in her seat and watched him apprehensively.

"...If I couldn't make you stay, I knew the people who could."

His eyes twitched and his body felt strained... It was like he couldn't move... But her footsteps... He could hear them as they splashed across the sidewalk towards him. He heard the bus leave, so there goes one escape plan...

She was only a few meters away from him now... It's only a matter of time before he's forced to see her again.

"Ichigo...?"

He finally turned around...

* * *

_He kicked a rock away angrily as he walked through the noisy, boisterous campus of Karakura High with heavy steps. How awkward it must have been... For the longest, he's always been able to see..._

_ How horrible it was...to wake up at Urahara's place without the ability to even see the man._

_ It was different when he couldn't access any of his powers, because he knew that the ghosts and the Hollows were always there... But now...after Ginjo took everything from him...after his mother took everything from him...he was beyond the concept of 'back to square one'..._

_ Was he even in the game anymore?_

_ "Ichigo..."_

_ For some reason, even when she spoke so softly, he always heard. However, he wasn't in the mood to speak... But he should have known... His friends barely even remember being scarred by Tsukishima... They don't remember any of the things they told him. Instead of answering her, he simply walked on by..._

* * *

_ "I-Ichigo...?"_

_ He stopped at the foot of the stairs as he heard the soft whisper of his younger sister's voice. Yuzu peeped around the corner of the kitchen with the phone held in her hand._

_ "Y-Your friends called earlier... Do you want to talk to them...or...?"_

_ He frowned and said, "I'm not here," before pulling himself up the stairs into his room and closing the door behind him. He dropped a set of papers on his desk and tossed his backpack on the floor. The only line visible from the paper read: **Full Ride to the** **University of Kagamino**._

_ This was it... This was the golden ticket he'd been waiting for. He'd leave Karakura... He'd leave all of the Spiritual World behind... He'd leave all of the sympathetic looks behind... Nobody has to protect him or look out for him any longer._

_ His sisters... Mother's always watched them, and she'll continue to do so... His friends... They are capable of protecting themselves... He could leave tonight if he wanted... Everyone, and everything, was already accounted for... But could he leave like that? Just walk out without letting anyone know?_

* * *

_ It had to be around nine... Surely everyone was sleep. The deafening sound of the rain and the storms rung over head, and he figured it was better to leave now than to wait. So he crept down the stairs as slow as he could to not wake anybody._

_ When the bright light of the kitchen shined in his face, he cursed the fact that his mother was awake, and staring right at him while she slowly sipped on her coffee. She blinked and sat the cup down before drawling out, "...Well, it's a little late for a sleepover, isn't it Ichigo?_

_ Ichigo frowned and said, "So you did know... I had hoped it was Yuzu or Karin who had opened my mail and put it back."_

_ "You should know that a mother is always looking after her child, even if that child doesn't want her too."_

_ The silence embraced the kitchen as the two watched each other. She took another sip and commented, "I don't understand why you look at me as an enemy, Ichigo. I only did what was best for you."_

_ His trademarked scowl (As Michiru always claimed) appeared on his face as he glared at his mother and grounded out, "After what you've done, I wouldn't doubt it if you planned this from the start..."_

_ He straightened his backpack on his back and stormed towards the door. As he was opening the door, he heard the sound of his mother's footsteps clapping across the floors as she ran towards him. However, he closed the door behind him, probably right in her face. He glared at the door before mumbling, "...Serves her right."_

_ He turned on his heel and ran directly into her as she grabbed him by his collar and pushed him back into the door, much to his surprise._

_ "You think I wanted to watch you get hurt? Is that the type of mother you think I am!?"_

_ Ichigo carefully watched his mother as she heaved angrily while leering at him through furious eyes. As if realizing what she was doing, she slowly loosened her grip on his collar and left her hand on his shoulder._

_ As if unsure he was still listening to her, she whispered, "...Ichigo...? I'm really sorry... I know...you might not have liked...any of my decisions...but-"_

_ He cut her off by grabbing her hand and moving it away from him. He slid past her and stopped at the midway point of the path leading from his house._

_ "...What I'm more angry at...is that you didn't give me a choice."_

_ He turned away and tried to move, though his mother grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back. He could hear her desperately begging, "__...Please...? Can't you just move on, Ichigo...!? What's done is done...!"_

_ He wrenched his arm away from her grasp and screamed, "__**'What's done is done'**__!? You want me to forget!? All of you are idiots if you think I can just let things like that slide!"_

_ As he stormed away, he heard his mother scream out, "...Ichigo, you don't have to go...! Please don't go...! What about your sisters!? Are you just going to leave them behind!?"_

_ He almost tripped over his feet as that comment nearly made him turn back around... But it was too late.. If he'd stayed, he wouldn't...be able to live with himself..._

* * *

_ Almost towards the station... There was no more distractions... It was just him and that train to Kagamino... He couldn't believe he was actually going through with this... He just needed t-_

_ He watched as her footsteps slowly clapped against the marble floor towards him. He blinked as he stared into her eyes... So much for 'no more distractions...'_

_ "...Ichigo?"_

_ He gulped... Did his mother call her...? Are the rest of his friends coming as well?_

_ "...Ichigo, I'm so sorry..."_

_ What...? What is she apologizing to him for?_

_ She looked down at her feet, and Ichigo had no idea if she was crying or if it was the rain... If it was him, he'd blame it on the rain._

_ "...Why are you apologizing...? I'm the one...running away..."_

_ The words were like acid as they rolled off his tongue... The day Ichigo Kurosaki ever ran away... That's headlining news..._

_ She looked up at him with those large, brown orbs, and he knew for sure that she had been crying. He barely heard her whisper, "I know. That's why I got here before the others did... I'm here to apologize for all of us..."_

_ Ichigo's eyes widened as she fidgeted and mumbled, "I didn't know...that being around us causes you so much pain... I never wanted to see...Ichigo cry again..."_

_ "I wasn't crying... It was the rain."_

_ He watched as the corners of her lips curved upwards. She simply said, "Then... I hope Ichigo can once again experience happiness with everyone...with everything, but the rain..."_

_ Then, completely unexpectedly, she began walking, and she stepped past him as the doors to the train opened in front of him._

_ He snapped his head around when he heard her speak, "...It wasn't our fault, Ichigo... It wasn't yours either... Please...please just come home... When the rain no longer bothers you... Please... Come back home, Ichigo..."_

_ He watched as she made short strides towards the rain outside...and before she left, he stopped her, and called out, "Wait!"_

_ She stopped right before the entrance, but made no attempt to turn around... Was she ashamed to look at him...? Was she angry, as everyone else would be...?_

_ "...I...I'll come back... I promise! One day, I'll get it all back... And I won't let anything like that ever happen to any of you ever again! So that way...I won't fail any of you...!"_

_ He stood there panting after he finished. He knew the other people at the station were probably giving him the weirdest of looks, but that didn't matter right now._

_ However, he was torn with disappointment as she continued walking into the rain without saying a word. As he slowly stumbled his way towards the train doors before they closed, he couldn't help but feel she was disgusted with him..._

_ So with that, he sat in his seat on the empty train to Kagamino... Completely ignorant of his other friends who had finally arrived and was trying to reach the door before it closed... It had only been minutes after the train had pulled off that he felt a vibration in his pocket, and wondered if it was mother calling his cell phone._

_ However, he pulled it and, with great surprise, realized that it was a text message._

_**...You're not a failure, Ichigo. Please don't be so hard on yourself...**_

* * *

She still wore the clip from her brother in her hair. It seemed she had pinned some of it behind her, though it still flowed down her back. She wore a white dress with pink hems and a pattern of pink stars, along with a brown overcoat with a fur collar.

Orihime Inoue, quite possibly one of the sweetest girls that Ichigo and Ryo have ever known and was the one who allowed Ichigo to leave, though she, like her friends, still wanted to make sure he was alright. He last heard that she went to a University in Karakura, along with most of his friends from high school...

It was with great embarrassment that Ichigo found himself face-to-face with her once more. He closed his eyes and sadly commented, "It seems you've beaten Uryu and Chad here once again... However, I don't think you're going let me go, are you? If that was the case, you wouldn't have come here..."

Orihime stared at him with those large brown orbs of hers, and he had to turn away... For some reason, they've always made him feel so guilty.

Her mouth parted slightly, and he was rendered speechless with anxiousness, as he wondered what she had to say this time.

"...Is the rain still bothering you, Ichigo?"

Out of all the things she could have said...he didn't really expect that one. But he understood the question, even if he knew Ryo was confused. He looked down at his shoes and mumbled, "...It still sprinkles from time to time..."

"Do you think this Wandenreich will make the rain stop?"

He placed his hands in his pocket and said, "Not really... But I promised I wasn't coming back until I never failed any of you again..."

"...Then you might as well not come back."

He looked up as two silhouettes appeared in the distance, though he could barely recognize them through the rain... Common sense told him that they were exactly who he though they were.

They finally emerged from the shadows, becoming visible when they came closer.

One of the them was dressed in a white zip-up sweater with jeans and a plaid shirt with many different shades of blue on it. His glasses were overshadowed by his dark-blue hair, which was combed to his right.

The other was dressed in a dark, open-collared shirt with similar colored pants. He had dark, wavy hair and stubble across the bottom his tan face.

"...Uryu...? Chad...?"

Uryu Ishida, one of his best friends when he was growing up (Though he'd never admit it. It was only because his mother was so close to Ryuken, after all). He was, however, the only one who never called or messaged him (Maybe he felt the same as he did). He was being trained by his father to take over the Karakura Hospital.

Sado Yasutora, otherwise named Chad, was another good friend of his whom he used to fight gangs with in middle school. Last he heard from him, he had played music in various bars across Japan.(He once came to a bar in Kagamino. When Tetsuo told him that Chad was here to pick him up, he ran off with a Sophomore that was interested in him... Ironically, she wanted to go to that bar for the date...)

Uryu stared at him with narrowed eyes and repeated, "If you made a stupid promise like that, then you might as well not come back at all."

Ignoring the cries of Orihime, he continued, "We can take care of ourselves, idiot. Tsukishima and Ginjo attacked us because they were targeting _you_. I thought the mistake of trusting Ginjo would have opened your eyes, but it seems you are still prone to making dumb decisions."

It seems Uryu still made it a point to piss him off at every chance he could get.

"You think he's after you because he wants to help you? Yhwach is someone who's much more dangerous than anything you could ever comprehend, even Ginjo and Tsukishima."

Ichigo scowled and reprimanded, "Mind your own business. I've made my decision, and it's too late to change it. I'm not getting any stronger here... I'm not getting any answers here... I'm tired of being lied to!"

Ryo, who had stayed silent during the entire exchange, raised her eyebrows at that.

_'Being lied to? What did he mean...?'_

Uryu shifted his glasses on his nose and declared, "Your opinion is irrelevant, Kurosaki. You see, we didn't come here to convince you by choice... You will come home by force if necessary."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and asked, "On whose orders?"

The Ishida Quincy's eyes darkened as he retorted, "_Your mother._"

Ichigo's eyes widened as Uryu held up his fully metallic Spirit Bow, and Chad arms shifted into his Brazo Derecha de Gigante and the Brazo Izquierda del Diablo.

_'Shit, these guys are for real!'_

Suddenly, he found himself trapped and surrounded by an orange barrier, and looked back to see Orihime with her hands up. She sadly answered his unasked question with, "I'm sorry, Ichigo... It's for your own good... Uryu is ri-"

"GGRRRRRRAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Orihime recoiled back in shock, and Uryu and Chad's eyes both widened as Ichigo began furiously beating against her Shun Shun Rikka. His eyes were burning red with anger, and he screamed "Let me out! Damn you, Orihime, drop this barrier!"

Even Ryo found the event a little sad... She could have sworn Ichigo was crying.

_'...Is it really so terrible...for him to go back...?'_

She turned away from him to prevent herself from seeing him cry, because it was making her do the same. Apparently, Orihime felt the same, as Uryu had to grab her hand and pull her away from the barrier. He frowned and him and reassured her, "He'll calm down when he realizes its useless... All we have to do is wait for Masaki to come, and then we c-"

That was the wrong thing to say, as Ichigo began ruthlessly beating against the Shun Shun Rikka, and his muffled screams grew even louder... Was he scared of his mother...?

Uryu flinched away from his furious assault against Orihime's shield, and recognize that it was causing a huge strain on her to hold it up.

_'Kurosaki doesn't even realize how much he's hurting her...'_

He turned back towards Ichigo to reprimand him at the absolute wrong second. The prisoner's white-sleeved arm extended towards him. His hands grasped Uryu by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. Everyone in the vicinity was surprised that his arm even managed to break through the barrier at all.

The orange barrier began fading to a blue color as it broke down into particles, and Uryu was gazing into Ichigo's eyes. His sclera had faded to black, and his normally brown eyes emitted a sky blue color. Ryo jumped from her seat in shock as soon as she saw them.

_'The Hollow again!?'_

The broken down particles of Reishi formed into his Reishi sword, which he pointed directly at Uryu's throat. His expression had shifted into a particularly demented gaze as he grinned widely and mumbled, **"I...Kill...you... Ishida..."**

Before he could even move his arm, a hand grabbed it and kept him from following through with that action. His eyes went back to their normal look, and his blade of Reishi evaporated.

"You are not ready to cross such a threshold, Ichigo Kurosaki. You would regret it for all of eternity."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Haschwalth standing behind him, holding his arm. Right next to Haschwalth was a woman with magenta-colored hair that curled around her shoulders. And farther behind both of them was the very same man...from that night...

___"Disappointingly weak, Ichigo Kurosaki... But that was to be expected."_

_ He offhandedly tossed Ichigo a slight distance away from him. Ichigo struggled to pick himself up, regurgitating blood in the process as he fell back onto the ground...____ He__ clawed at the ground as he again tried to pick himself up. His fingernails scraped at a pair of military boots._

_He felt the stranger's hands grab at the collar of his track jersey, easily lifting him with a single hand.__The next thing Ichigo knew, he was being thrown off the rooftop. He glanced one last time at the man, who slowly lifted his finger up and pointed directly at him, creating a flash of light at the end of it._

_ The last thing Ichigo felt and saw was a beam of light piercing through his heart, and he knew immediately that it was all over..._

"...Well... It seems you've started your own celebrations, Ichigo Kurosaki. Mind if I drop in?"

Ichigo stared at him with slight apprehension. This wasn't what he wanted... He wanted his friends to go home before the Wandenreich got here! And now his mother's coming...!

He dropped Uryu, allowing him to fall to the wet pavement before looking over his shoulder towards Yhwach and saying, "I'd rather we get out of here as fast as possible."

The Emperor of the Wandenreich smirked slightly and asked, "What's the rush...? It looks like we have time to kill."

Ichigo's eyes widened, as at that very same moment, Uryu and Chad went rushing by him, each with their weapons aimed with the intent to kill. He held his hands out called out, "Wait! No!"

Haschwalth, who had moved back towards his leader, fully prepared to draw his blade until Yhwach pressed the back of his hand into his chest.

"...I have to admit, chasing down Ichigo Kurosaki wasn't very fun... It's been a while since I was able to truly stretch my limbs... Even if it's just a morning stretch."

His subordinate nodded and stepped back as the King stepped forward and waited. The Fullbringer charged him with his right hand reared back and yelled, "_El Directo!_"

Yhwach moved to the side and simply smacked his fist away before using his right hand to send him soaring down the street, crashing into the bus stop as Ryo dived out of the way. Right after, a series of arrows soared by him.

Ichigo expression turned comical when he noticed they were flying directly at him. However, right as he was preparing to move, the left hand of the redhead woman moved in front of him, and a shield of Reishi emerged from it. He looked up at her, though she seemed to be focused on something else.

In his very hands, Yhwach crushed one of Uryu's Heilig Pfiels and allowed the Reishi fragments to scatter in the air. He clicked his tongue in disappointment and sighed, "I thought your arrows would be stronger, Ishida child. I figured wrong."

He clapped his hands together and slowly pulled them apart, forming a large arrow of Reishi. He hunched over and muttered, "This, young Quincy, is what a true _Heilig Pfiel_ is supposed to be like."

He fired it towards Uryu, who was sent back near the same distance as Chad. However, both of Ichigo's friends huddled to their feet and took off again, though they coordinated their attacks this time. However, even Ichigo realized that it was all for naught.

As soon as Chad came within range while being covered by Uryu's arrows, Yhwach ignored the arrows and caught the Hispanic's fist with only his finger. With his other hand, he formed another of the large Heilig Pfiels and stabbed it into Chad's Brazo Izquierda del Diablo before painfully ripping it out, causing it to exploded in a shower of blood that was washed away by the rain.

Ichigo stood horrified as he watched his friend collapsed to the ground, and held his hand out as he murmured, "Wait..."

As soon as Chad landed on the ground, Uryu was next to fall. He fell back as the Quincy Emperor cleanly sliced through him. By that point, he threw the redhead woman out of his way as he charged towards the dark-cloaked man.

"Wait, goddamnit! Why the hell are y-!?"

Before he could get far, Haschwalth had stopped him and informed, "They are not dead... You are the only reason he did not kill them... Unless you wanted them to follow us in the Schatten Bereich."

Ichigo gritted his teeth, though he watched with angered eyes. Yhwach looked over at the orange-haired girl, whom he noticed was preparing to attack him.

"Don't waste your time, Human girl. If anything, you should be healing them instead."

He turned on his heels and prepared to leave before he sensed something behind him. Moving to the side, he saw a flash of green and white next to him before the person's white boots flew towards him. Yhwach grabbed it and pushed the offender back, and the person slid back in a pirouette style, almost like an ice skater.

"...And you are...? Is this another of your friends, Ichigo Kurosaki...?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. The person wore a lime-green top with an open collar and a white shirt underneath, along with lime-green fingerless gloves, white bands, and a charm bracelet on his arms. He wore white shorts and white boots, along with a white felt hat on top of his maroon-colored ha-

He waved him off and said, "Kill him if you want to."

Daruma Ryouseika's chuckle rung through his ears with annoyed intentions as he cooed, "You just can't help but love me, can you?"

Ichigo deadpanned and repeated, "No, kill him because its necessary. The world would be a better place."

Daruma laughed loudly as he began walking forward while throwing his hair over his shoulders. He jested, "You see, Mr. Quincy Sir, I can't let you run off with my_ Ichi-Boo Bear_...get it?"

Ichigo frowned and desperately shouted, "...You were so eager to attack my friends, asshole, now hurry up and kill this guy!"

The redhead and Haschwalth both slowly turned to Ichigo, an expression of complete disbelief written on their faces. Yhwach raised an eyebrow, though he never turned around as he kept his eyes on Daruma. He mused to himself, "...Can't say I've heard that one before..."

While he was busy musing over Ichigo's apparent lack of respect, Daruma leaped at him with his foot raised in the air in order to kick him, though the emperor simply moved out of the way and cut him as he did Chad and Uryu.

As the man collapsed towards the ground, Yhwach stood overhead and looked down at him. He frowned and noted, "Layers of Fullbring? I didn't know one could stack Fullbring on top of another... What are you hiding, boy?"

Suddenly, the boy spun on the ground with his foot in the air and attempted a handstand kick, which was blocked by the elder Quincy's arm. With his left foot, he punted the redhead in the back and sent him flying away, coming to a rest in front of Orihime as she tended to the fallen boys.

Yhwach turned on his heel and sauntered back to the three Quincy and explaining, "...Now we are done, Ichigo Kurosaki... I sense no more of your friends. Let's take our leave."

Ichigo flinched as the dark cloak whipped against his face when the man passed by him. He looked back to his friends (and Daruma, but he wasn't a friend) before turning around and following the Sovereign of the Wandenreich.

However, everyone's eyes widened as a series of explosions went off in the street they were standing in. Ichigo was barely able to manage ducking beneath the flying body of Haschwalth as he was sent back, and the redhead gripped his arm tighter in response.

Four silhouettes emerged from the smoky ruins in front of Yhwach, and his eyes widened when he saw who was there.

A dark-skinned woman with short, purple hair came out of the smoke. She wore a midriff black biker jacket with orange stripes and torn sleeves, an orange tank-top, and a pair of tight-fitting chaps with an orange rear. A matching pair of black gloves and boots trimmed with orange adorned her hands and feet, and she wore a pair of black shades on her forehead.

To that woman's right, a man dressed in a green underclothing with a dark haori over it. He wore a green bucket hat with black stripes over his pale-blonde hair and a pair of wooden sandals. He had a beige-colored wooden cane.

Closest to the center on the left stood a man in a white suit with a blue shirt and tie. He had white hair and glasses, and stood with his hands in his pocket.

And directly meters in front of Yhwach was Masaki Kurosaki, her light blue dress flowing with the winds and rain, with a large bow of Reishi pointed directly at his head.

* * *

Trivia:

-In Canon, on the Friday in the middle of May, at 7:13, Ichigo defeated Fishbone D and became a Soul Reaper.

-Orihime's design uses the hair from the Soul Society arc (When she disguises herself) and the clothing from the Anime arc Reigai Uprising (Clothing she wears at Nozomi's party.)

-Uryu's design is based on Ryuken as a teenager. He just has dark hair instead of white. Chad's was just random.

-There is a reason Ichigo's near Hollowfication had blue eyes instead of yellow. Probably will be revealed in the next two chapters.

-Pretty sure it's obvious who Daruma is now. If not, it's revealed next chapter.

-The redhead Quincy is a Canon character, though she isn't a Quincy in Canon. However, like Tetsuo, nobody's gonna know who the hell she is until I reveal her, and then still have to check the Wiki to confirm she's real (Hell, I didn't even know she existed).

-Yoruichi's oufit was partially based on Hwoarang from Tekken. Her hair is cut short as it was in the Turn Back the Pendulum arc. Kisuke's only difference is that his hat has black stripes instead of white (I didn't really find a good design I liked.) Ryuken and Masaki are practically the same.


	11. Everything but the Rain 2 Farewell Bliss

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"...Masaki Kurosaki... What a surprise..."

The woman scoffed and replied, "You mean you actually believed a mother wouldn't come for her own son?"

Yhwach smirked and shook his head while retorting, "No... I actually meant that it was surprise that you still have your powers... How did you get them back?"

She nodded her head towards her wrist, pointing out the silver bangle she was wearing. Yhwach's eyes narrowed in amusement as he taunted, "...Oh... So you expect to defeat me with that?"

She narrowed her eyes and glanced at Kisuke out of the corner of her eye. She murmured, "Urahara, you're with me. Ryuken and Yoruichi, get the other two."

The man pouted and whimpered, "Why do you get to give ord-?"

"_Urahara._"

He held his hands up in surrender as he hurried to Masaki's side. Yoruichi laughed aloud at her old friend's mishaps before turning around alongside Ryuken and facing Haschwalth, who recovered from his flight and landed in front of Ichigo and the redhead. He looked at the girl over his shoulder and said, "Gina, you know what you must do."

She nodded and turned to Ichigo, who stood in shock as his mother and his parent's friends appeared suddenly. She quickly ordered, "Young Master, we must leave."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at that before she grabbed him and pulled him out of the path of the arrow that would've hit his head. He never paid any attention, though.

_'Young Master?'_

She barely managed a few steps before she noticed someone had appeared in front of her. She stopped suddenly, causing Ichigo to bump into her. Directly in front of her, Daruma landed and stood to his full height.

"...I thought I recognized you, Gina... So you've become one of the Wandenreich's lapdogs, have you? Just as Mom always wanted for you."

The redhead, whom Ichigo now knew as Gina, frowned in annoyance, but made no move to make a retort. However, Ichigo was now confused.

Did this Gina know Daruma? Were they related? Was Daruma a Quincy, and he was initially wrong?

And did Daruma's voice get higher?

_'No, the old man called him a Fullbringer... So who the hell is he?'_

"Stand back, Young Master. I'm going to eliminate this trash and we'll move on."

Well, that sounded good to Ichigo. It took the Wandenreich forever to finally decide that this menace deserved the axe.

Daruma scowled intensely and exasperated, "There you go again... Always taking things that didn't belong to you! Things that belonged to me!"

Yes, he was right... His voice did get higher.

Gina's hand moved to her waist, where the hilt of a sword jutted out. She simply stated, "...You have that backwards, sister."

Hey, wait just a second... He didn't belong to anybody. What the hell kind of fight was this?

* * *

"Awaken, Benihime."

Yhwach watched as the shikomizue turned into a sleek, medium-sized sword decorated with red. His eyes narrowed in interest as he noted, "...Kisuke Urahara... A dangerous man, the Daten reported..."

The man smirked a little and replied, "What? You mean to say lil' ol' me is considered _dangerous_? I'm just a simple store owner from around the corner..."

"...So you say..."

He smirked as he heard the sound of a Hirenkyaku, and turned to catch Masaki's arrow before it struck his back.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you as well, Masaki Kurosaki... You are the one who orchestrated this little get-together, aren't you? This attempt to bring your son back..."

In response, she simply whispered, "Klavier...," and released a series of powerful, explosive arrows with only a single hand. The Quincy King skipped to the side and slid next to her. With his hand reared back, he summoned his Spirit Weapon, which was a dadao with a wing-like crossguard and a long handle.

"Blood Mist Shield."

When Yhwach thrust forward, the tip of his blade collided with a red energy shield. He retreated back and glanced at Kisuke out of the corner of his eyes. The man wagged his finger and held his blade in the air.

"...Scream, Benihime!"

Bringing his blade down, Kisuke sent an arc of crimson energy towards Yhwach, whose eyes widened in shock.

* * *

"Yoruichi Shihoin...and Ryuken Ishida..."

There was no way Haschwalth would be able to take both of them down by himself... Ryuken Ishida was a powerful Quincy who mastered all of the techniques of his father...and Yoruichi Shihoin was one of the 'Special War Potentials...'

While it is known that she possesses Bankai, She, like Kenpachi Zaraki (Though he simply doesn't have one), doesn't use it, let alone her Zanpakuto... How can a Soul Reaper become so powerful without using their main instruments?

Lucky, his leader's intentions were clear... Do not kill any of Ichigo Kurosaki's close relatives and friends, and simply hold them off until the Schatten Bereich's timer ran up and dragged them all back... They've only been here for fifteen minutes...

He would have to last five more.

Yoruichi Shihoin seemed to take note of this, as she commented, "You look kinda nervous, Pretty Boy. What's wrong?"

Haschwalth gripped his blade tighter in preparation. Yoruichi frowned at his lack of response and sighed, "I was talking to you, Ryuken."

"Insolent Soul Reaper. Bite your tongue."

Yoruichi turned to Ryuken and said, "Cats don't bite their own tongues... We take other peoples..."

When the Quincy ignored her, she grinned and jested, "Cat got your tongue, huh?"

As she spoke, a crimson arc of energy soared them. Haschwalth narrowed his eyes for a second as the energy passed, and noticed that Ryuken slowly took aim with his bow. The floating jacket next to hi-

Wait, what?

"Betcha didn't see that one coming?"

As soon as he turned, Yoruichi kicked him in his ribs and send him sliding towards the center of the street... Both Yoruich Shihoin and Ryuken Ishida had him surrounded in such a short time.

...He didn't even think that lasted a minute.

* * *

"So for what reason do you have in coming for your son? You've...always protested against his way of life, have you not?"

She said nothing as she and Kisuke surrounded him. Yhwach tilted his head and said, "So... What would you do when you've taken him back, Masaki Kurosaki? Help him develop his Quincy powers...? Give him the answers he seeks?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she briefly noted that Ichigo had been focusing on them from the very beginning. She had to defeat him now before he opened his mouth any further...

Ichigo already has little to no faith in her... She needed to regain at least something back to keep him from going with that man...

"You think he can trust you? After what you've done? How can you expect-?"

He was interrupted by her harsh scream of, "Shut up! You shut the hell up!"

Kisuke noted that the blue Reishi near her bangle had faded to white, and he immediately called out, "Masaki, stop! The modifications of that Quincy Bangle isn't meant for that type of stress! You'll overload it!"

However, she paid him little attention as she prepared to fire an extremely large arrow. She paid little attention to the static of the bangle as she put everything she had into that Heilig Pfiel.

Yhwach watched curiously as Kisuke dove over to her slashed the bracelet off of her hand with extreme precision and kicked it towards his direction. He simply smacked it away with his hand when it came near, but was unaware of the fact that it was glowing.

* * *

Ichigo watched with wide eyes as a large explosion went off near the Quincy King, and he noticed that everyone's attention was drawn to the bright light.

_'Was that man... Was he dead?'_

The explosion was intense, it appeared as if no one could have survived it. That was until the worn-down, bleeding arm appeared from within the light and waved it away, moving the explosion away from his vicinity. Other than the arm, Yhwach was clearly unharmed.

It was also clear that he wasn't amused any longer.

"...I see... You have now lost your ability to fight... Unless you have a strategy to fight without any powers, this is it for you."

The woman gritted her teeth as she glared at Yhwach... She had been distant with her son for so long... She tried to get close to him again, and then he ran off to Kagamino... There was no way she was going to let him escape her this time! She had to... She had to!

Her hands were twitching with anticipation, and a small spark of Reishi had formed there, much to the surprise of Kisuke.

_'She had lost them that night... Her powers... But how is she even drawing Reishi?'_

Maybe it was the love she had for her son, no matter how much he hated her... Maybe it was something else... Either way, he noticed that the spark had grown larger than before.

"You and the Wandenreich will leave my son alone, damnit!"

She had taken off in a rapid sprint towards Yhwach as the small spark of Reishi became a Heilig Pfiel. He simply watched her, wondering if she knew... She had to have known...

That her son never had any faith in her to begin with... He lost that long ago... Her appearance only solidified his resolve.

Then again...she knew that... That is why, with such fury, she charged him down now with the intent to kill, even though it was futile.

But she was stopped. The attack of her Heilig Pfiel was stopped by a short, pale-blue sword, almost like a large machete, with a silver edge and a white hilt. The silver guard was in the shape of a hooked cross.

Masaki Kurosaki locked confused eyes with her son's blank ones, and the two simply stared at one another.

"Ichigo...?"

He simply stared down at his metallic Spirit Weapon and mumbled, "It's done, Mom... I've made up my mind..."

As her Reishi arrow faded away, she collapsed against him and grabbed a hold to his shoulders while begging, "Ichigo, no... Please don't... He only wants to use you... Please, please don't go."

"...And he'll give me the answers I seek. What you've kept hidden from me for so long..."

He eased his way out of her grasp and turned back to Yhwach. However, his mother simply grabbed the back of his pants leg, unrelenting in her stance.

"I'll... I'll tell you everything...! No more secrets! We can... We can start over! We co-"

She was cut off as a shadow forced her hand away and began pulling at his leg. Yhwach noted it and ordered, "Haschwalth, Gina, come here... The Schatten Bereich's timer is up."

Within in instant, the two Quincies appeared next to him as the shadows came up behind them. Ichigo stared at it... For some reason, that darkness was enticing... That darkness had all of the answers...

He took a step towards it, ignoring the cries of his mother and some other female... He couldn't discern whether it was Orihime or Ryo... He didn't care...

He'd prove to his mother...that she made the biggest mistake ever.

* * *

"...Maid, please take this tea to Masaki for me. I'm afraid the night has stressed her out too much."

The maid nodded as she picked up the tray and prepared to take it to her.

"I'll take it to her."

Both the maid and Ryuken stopped and turned around as Ryo's hands moved to steal the tray from the woman and turned to the outside deck. Both the Ishida Patriarch and his servant looked at each other, and the man shrugged in response.

After Ichigo was finally taken away, something that she had been trying to prevent for the longest, everyone was brought to the Ishida Family's second home in Kagamino (She heard from Ryuken that this was the one that Ichigo broke into while he was running from Yhwach).

Uryu, Chad, and Daruma was resting in various areas of the living room as Orihime continued to heal them while Tetsuo had watched (He had been found when Chad and Uryu accidentally went to the dorm). She walked past them towards the balcony area, where Masaki hadn't moved from that spot, even though the rain never stopped.

She slowly pulled the sliding door open and peeked her head out of the door.

"...Um..Mrs. Kurosaki...? Mr. Ishida asked me to bring you some tea."

Only the raindrops made any noise, as Masaki kept quiet. As to not rouse any anger from the woman, she slowly pulled her head back in before the slightest whisper emerged from the older woman.

"...Just sit it on the table there..."

Ryo nodded and placed the tray on the table. After a while, she finally asked, "Are you going to stand out there in the rain? Maybe you should come inside."

When she didn't answer again, she sighed and made way to leave the woman alone.

"...You're the one who sent the text message, right? Ryo Kunieda?"

Shocked that the woman knew that detail, she nodded and returned to the balcony while closing the door behind her.

"...Yeah... I wish I'd sent it earlier, though... I had hoped I could convince him to go back on his own."

Masaki simply stated, "He wouldn't have... If you'd have said something earlier, and we dragged him back anyway, he'd never forgive me..."

Ryo took note of that. She turned away towards the University before mentioning, "Probably not... When Uryu mentioned that you was shoehorning this plan, Ichigo had gotten scared all of a sudden... He almost fell to the Hollow again."

That definitely got a rouse out of her, as she turned and gave the girl a slight glance from the corner of her eye before turning back to stare at nothing.

"I'd imagine that. I'm sure both the Hollow and Ichigo are scared of me."

* * *

Daruma awoke to the sudden buzzing emitting from his back pocket. He waved for Orihime to rid himself of the barrier so he could get it. Finally retrieving it, he frowned at the name on screen before dropping it and sighing.

"Forget that phone..."

He didn't realize that phone landed on the '_answer call_' button.

_"Tch, I knew it was too much to ask of you. We're heading to your position now."_

The effeminate man's eyes snapped open and he scrambled to pick up the phone. Putting it to his ear, he yelled into it, "No! You'll blow it!"

_"You mean your cover? You blew it the moment you let Ichigo Kurosaki fall into the Wandenreich's hands. I'm cutting off your disguise, as this mission has already failed."_

_ '_Daruma' cursed as 'he' began flickering, much to the confusion of everyone in the room. 'His' masculine body fell to a feminine shape, and the clothes themselves became more feminine. Instead of long maroon hair, magenta pigtails fell from beneath the felt hat.

_"Oi, Riruka. Are you still listening to me?"_

The woman looked at everyone in the room as they all stared at her. Some was confused (Actually, Tetsuo was the only one confused...) and everyone else narrowed their eyes as they remembered her.

She awkwardly scratched the back of her head and said, "You see, there is definitely an explanation to all of this, somewhere..."

* * *

Wait, what? Ryo knew Ichigo was afraid (Though she didn't know why), but the Hollow? The Hollow's scared of his mother?

"...When Ichigo was nine, on the seventeenth of June, we were attacked by a Hollow... As you may have heard, I lost my powers that night."

_"To hear my own sisters tell me that ____he__ was the reason I survived that night in June...!"_

"...We barely managed to survive... After that day, my husband had reawakened his powers...and my son's demeanor changed."

Ryo sat quietly as Masaki sadly reminisced. With heavy tears, the woman chuckled, "Ichigo used to be such a cry baby. The only time he would stop is when I was near... But after that night, he changed... He stopped crying, so I was needed less... He went from 'Please help me, Mommy' to 'I can do it myself'... And from that to 'One day, I'll protect you'... And his father...was nothing but a bad influence... He even gave him the tool to become a Soul on his own..."

She choked back sobs and continued, "I-Ichigo...wanted to be just like him... And those days came close... He began hearing the sounds of his Zanpakuto... He heard laughing... Dark, evil laughing... It was only until Urahara explained it to me that I understood... When I was attacked by a Hollow, it was an experimental-type by a man named Aizen. A Hollow built from Soul Reapers."

That caused the gears in Ryo's head to grind together as she began thinking of something...what was it that Ichigo said?

"...So when the Reiatsu from that wound transferred through me to him, it manifested as his Fullbring years later. His Hollow powers latched on to his remnant Soul Reaper powers."

_"...Fullbring...is a special power that only Humans under unique circumstances can use... That person's mother or father must survive a Hollow wound. That wound leaves behind traces of Hollow Reiatsu, which is transferred to the baby upon the birth. So a Fullbringer's Reiatsu is constituted by Hollow powers..."_

That was what Ichigo said... But this...she still didn't understand.

"...But first...that Hollow _was _his Zanpakuto..."

So from the start, Ichigo had always possessed the powers of a Hollow... Was that why he was so calm about that situation, instead of panicking after having almost lost himself?

"A few months after Ichigo had turned fifteen, Isshin had died. Doing his duties as a Soul Reaper, he always told me... Every time he mentioned that excuse, I grew more angry... And I hated that my son wanted to be like that. That my son wanted to fight and die for such a ridiculous cause."

Wait... The Hollow was the Zanpakuto, and then it suddenly became his Fullbring? Ginjo took that, so he took that Hollow's power along with him... But why did the Zanpakuto suddenly become a Fullbring?

"So the next day, after Isshin's death, I left. I didn't...I didn't know what to do with myself.. I left for a week, wandering aimlessly around Karakura... I finally came home at the end of the week, and I had made my decision after I saw Ichigo roaming through the house in his Soul Body..."

Remnant Soul Reaper powers? What happened to them?

"...With the little Reishi I had, I destroyed my son's Saketsu and Hakusui to prevent him from _ever_ utilizing his Soul Reaper Reiatsu...because I didn't want my son to die the same...pointless..._death_ as his father."

* * *

"And that was why your mother sealed away your Soul Reaper powers when you were only fifteen. Afterwards, your Hollow had to pool together what resources it could from your Soul to survive until it could be awakened, which it did so during your tenure with Xcution."

In Yhwach's throne room in the Wandenreich base, Ichigo stood down below him with shock. Haschwalth and Gina stood alongside him as they listened. The woman had unclasped her cloak and folded it beneath her.

Her attire was a slim white top and slitted-ankle pants that had a single blue line that started from her high collar and ran across her left breast, along with various light-blue lines in various strokes across her outfit. She wore white gloves and a pair of silver high-heels, along with dark-blue socks and a matching colored belt, from which her Quincy cross hung.

Ichigo looked down at his shoes and mumbled, "...But Ginjo took them away... So how could I've even awoken the Hollow...?"

Yhwach leaned forward in his seat and stated, "Let's start with this question, then... Haven't you ever wondered why you and mother are still alive? Why had she _supposedly_ lost most of her powers? It seems obvious to think...that she sacrificed her powers for your sake, doesn't it? I can tell you its not."

He watched as the boy's eyes popped out of his head. He placed his fist on his cheek and rested against the arms of his throne and revealed, "That night of June, you and your mother were supposed to die because I willed it. But you, Ichigo Kurosaki, prevented that and saved both of your lives that night. You possess the potential to become even greater than I."

When he knew he had Ichigo's undivided attention _('Did he just say that he wanted me and my mom to die?'_), he smirked and drawled out, "I will reveal to you...the reason you and your mother still lives..."

* * *

Trivia:

-One review gave me an idea: Since the next chapter is the end of the Back From Black arc, I might do a timeline/summary/trivia of all the events revealed so far.

-Masaki still has some power left, so unlike Uryu's in the Bount Arc, it just helps gather it at her old level. It's a modified one built by Urahara.

-As stated in first Trivia, Daruma (Dharma) is a type of **_doll _**modeled after Bodhidharma. It was also a name for prostitutes during the Edo period (Explains creepiness). Ryouseika is Japanese for 'Bisexual Flower' (Flower represents the girl in this case, bisexual is more literal: It's a girl pretending to be a guy, thus two different sexes, though not at the same time).

-Daruma's outfit is based on Riruka's from the colored page of 439 (The one with the line: "You just can't help but love me, can you?"). As Riruka, that is her actual outfit for right now.

-What Riruka's actual mission was is in next chapter.

-While Ichigo's Soul Reaper powers were sealed away, the Zanpakuto(Zangetsu) is a Hollow too, so it managed to survive only barely by merging with the Soul.

-Gina, now that Riruka is revealed, is her sister in canon. In Manga Chapter 471, She's the girl that Riruka tries to take a doll from, and then she goes and yells for her mother. In this story, the Dokugamine's are all Quincies except for Riruka.

-Her outfit is the exact same as Nel's Espada uniform, except all of the lines on her outfit is blue instead of black.


	12. Everything but the Rain 3 June Truth

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

He remember that night clearly...

_ "Ah!"_

_ A nine-year-old Ichigo whimpered as he was splashed by muddy water as a truck came speeding down the streets of Karakura. The heavy rainfall was clearly getting to everyone today._

_ As he stood there, soaked and depressed, the voice of his mother rung through his ears._

_ "Oh my, oh my... What a rude truck... Are you okay, Ichigo?"_

_ Immediately, he felt the soft cloth of a towel press against his face as she apologized, "Sorry... Here, let's switch. I'll walk on the roadside..."_

_ He whined as his mother wiped at his face and complained, "It's okay, I'll stay on this side! I'm wearing a raincoat, so I'll be fine!"_

_ His mother smiled as her son exclaimed, "I'll protect you from now on, Momma!"_

_ "Oh my, how reliable..."_

_ Ichigo grinned widely, but that soon changed when his mother pressed her towel to his face and taunted, "...But no way! I can't leave the roadside to you when you haven't even won one match against Tatsuki!"_

_ "Gah gaf a gifkin af aym!"_

_ With furrowed eyebrows, his mother chuckled, "Oh my, I don't know what you're saying."_

_ From beneath the cloth, Ichigo frowned and repeated, "I said, I got a hit in last time!" but it fell on deaf ears as Masaki pulled the rag away and exclaimed, "There! All cleaned up!"_

_ She placed her hand on his head and patted it while laughing, "Let's go, Ichigo!"_

_ As he admired her warm smile, Ichigo whispered, "Momma...? Can we hold hands?"_

_ Masaki smiled down at Ichigo while holding her hand out and answering, "'Course we can!"_

_ Ichigo smiled and nodded as he held his mother's hand. They continued their walk home, but as they crossed a bridge, he noticed a little girl appearing to jump off the bridge and into the river. _

_ "Huh?"_

_ Masaki barely knew what was going on until she felt Ichigo release her hand and prepare to hop over the railing. She blinked and dumbly commented, "Eh?"_

_ "Wait here, Momma!_

_ Masaki watched Ichigo run forward for a moment before awaking to the situation and realizing what her son was going to do._

_ "Ichigo!"_

That was as far as his knowledge went... He blacked out and woke up hours later... His mother was frantically holding him to her chest and repeatedly asked if he was okay, crying the entire time.

For some reason, his father was able to become a Soul Reaper again because of the event... And he was told that his mother had sacrificed her powers to save him...

From that moment on, he had decided he would do his best to become stronger like his father so he would never have to sit and watch on the sidelines... So he could protect instead of being protected. And when he received those powers...he lost them just as fast.

But here, this old man... He's confirming what he'd always knew... That his mother and father were lying to him...

"Ichigo Kurosaki... I've already explained to you the concept of your abilities... How your Hollow merged with the remnant Soul after your mother destroyed your powers, and how they became your Fullbring... Do you know about that cross around your neck?"

Ichigo frowned and grabbed the chain in his hand. He narrowed his and said, "Yeah, it's my Quincy Cross. Get on with it."

Yhwach blinked and realized that it would take some time to get used to that.

"...And what other uses have you made for it?"

Other uses?

"...A Quincy Cross is born from a Quincy's power... It may change over time, but it is never unfamiliar to its assigned Quincy. And yet, you've always been able to use it as Fullbring..."

___It was an odd chain that was made of a cold, steel-like material and was molded into the shape of a swastika. He stared at it for a moment._

___ 'I don't have any jewelry... How did he find this on my desk?'_

_ There was something off about it... Even though he hated jewelry...it felt comfortable in his hand...and it looked familiar to him... As a matter of fact, he recognized it entirely._

___ '...But how did it get back here...? I left this...in my room before I left!'_

That's right... Once he lost his powers, he saw no use for it... And he dropped it off in his room...

_He felt it pooling beneath, the feeling... The feeling of combat... His hand gripped the chain on his chest... He understood its basics..._

_'...So it was...a Quincy Cross all this time...and I never knew...'_

So did it follow its way back to him when his powers returned?

"You have a weird condition, Ichigo Kurosaki... Quincies aren't meant to use the powers of a Hollow... Your mother face such trauma, and it nearly killed her. Gina's father here face such trauma, and he is now dead... That's because the Human body isn't willing to accept foreign substances."

He kind of figured that... So how is he...still alive?

"The Human body does not accept instantaneous and violent transformations such as Hollowfication, because a Hollow, as a Soul, and a Human, as a normal body, does not mix well. Fullbringers are not Hollows, as the leftover remnants of that Hollow's attacks are given to them as powers."

When Ichigo still blankly stared at him, Yhwach elaborated, "Your Soul Reaper powers are the reason you're even alive now, otherwise you would have died from Soul Suicide."

So that explains how he's still alive... But his Fullbring is gone... Unless he's suggesting that the traces are still on his Quincy Cross... But regardless, he wished the old man would get to the point.

"Even if you wish for me to hurry, this must be understood before we get to that point... While those traces are left on your Quincy Cross, you have to also understand that those powers have always been with you from the start, before your mother or Ginjo ever took them away... Even that day you nearly died..."

Ichigo straightened up as Yhwach crossed his legs and placed his fist in his cheek.

"For a thousand years, I was sleep. I was defeated long ago by a man named Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto...and I sealed myself away to recover my great loss. And legends spoke about me... In nine-hundred years, I'd regain my life again... In ninety years, my intelligence returned...and in nine years, I'd regain all of my powers... So I stole...all of the powers of the Gemischt Quincy."

Ichigo frowned and asked, "What is that? A Gemischt Quincy?"

Haschwalth was the one who answered with, "Mixed-Blood... All Quincy you see here are Echt Quincy, which are Pure-Bloods. As far as I'm concerned, your friend Uryu Ishida might be the only Gemischt Quincy who survived."

The young Quincy's eyes widened as the old man continued, "You too, are a Gemischt Quincy...and your mother had been cursed by a Hollow... In my Auswählen technique, you both were selected... Your powers were meant to be mine."

The redhead had moved to his side and grabbed his arm, just to be certain he wasn't able to attack the Monarch.

"...But it seems you thought differently, Ichigo Kurosaki. Or rather, the Hollow did... My Auswählen is perfect... It is the only version of Sklavarei usable by me, as any other Quincy would need to activate Vollstandig to even touch upon the powers of Reishi domination..."

___However, he felt as his sudden push began slowing down to a point that it almost felt as if he was floating through space. During this moment of pause, he was able to catch a glimpse of a small, ____whitish-blue orbs floating alongside him._

___ 'Reishi particles...?'_

_ Suddenly, as if being invaded by a foreign virus, the particle faded to a greenish-white and zoomed towards its epicenter, followed by Saido himself._

___ 'He's pulling me in! What power!? A Quincy absorbing a Soul Reaper!?'_

_ He stabbed his Zanpakuto into the ground to prevent himself from getting too close, as he watched the particles break down into non-visible sizes, fearful that the same might happen to him. He held his grounds as the vacuum-like center continued to absorb the particles._

The man leaned forward and stared at Ichigo with intense eyes as he corrected himself, "...Before you, that is...because of that Hollowfication."

_ "...It's him...! That Hollow... He hates this weakness! He's telling me... He's telling me to step it up!"_

Yhwach stood up and walked down his floating stairs while finishing, "That night, it not only stole your powers back from me, but those of your mother as well...including the Hollow she possessed in her body and the Hollow that tried to kill you both that night...and you have been unable to access those powers ever since."

It was him...? His mother didn't protect him, but instead, the opposite? He protected her by stealing her powers!? Why haven't she told him...!?

"Your Inner Hollow, formed from your Zanpakuto, had become one with your Quincy abilities and thought it found Hollows to feast on... When your mother ruined your Soul Reaper powers, I suspect it drew from the Grand Fisher to survive... But was unable to when Ginjo stole them... Thus, the only Hollow that remains is the one Masaki Kurosaki possessed..."

___His face, however, was a different story, consisting of a hauntingly white mask with large teeth and a blue hooked-cross, similar to his Quincy Cross and bow, in the dead center of it. It seemed to be forever trapped with the eternal grin that promised nothing but ecstatic destruction. _

"When your Inner Hollow was taken by Ginjo, your Quincy abilities had been released from their Hollowed binding...and your mother's Hollow began to break down, as all things of Sklavarei... But your Quincy Cross... As you used that Cross as a Fullbring focus, it was gifted with the powers of that Hollow... Some Hollows survive in Hueco Mundo by breathing in the Reishi in the atmosphere... So I believe that you...possess complete Reishi domination similar to my own."

___The Hollow's mask had tilted to the side before opening wide and swallowing the bullet whole, much to Saido's shock._

_ "...Well this isn't gonna be good."_

_ Instead of what he was expecting, however, Ichigo's head tilted back, and the beam of pink light floated above him. Suddenly, more of the greenish-white particles began drawing towards him, slowly turning the pink into a whitish-brown color before fading settling into a forest green._

___ 'He's drawing Reishi from the environment to make that Cero larger! Shit!'_

Ichigo stood there quietly as Yhwach swiftly moved by him... He frowned and turned back to the Monarch as he nearly exited the room and asked, "Where are you going?"

"...I'm going to make an announcement to my Stern Ritter... However, I should be asking you where you are going."

His mouth held agape as Yhwach turned back to him and said, "If you are leaving, then Gina will show you the exit... If you are staying, then your attendant will show you where you will be staying..."

He nodded for Haschwalth to follow him, which he did so while leaving him and Gina alone in the throne room. She stared at him expectantly.

"...Are you...are you the attendant?"

She blinked at him and nodded, "Affirmative, Young Master. I am Gina Dokugamine."

He frowned in confusion as he thought to himself... Where have he heard that name...?

"My older sister, Riruka Dokugamine. However, you once called her Daruma Ryouseika during your schooling."

His eyes widened in response, and she elaborated, "Our parents were both Quincies. My father was attacked by a Hollow and given a virus, later being killed from Soul Suicide. Riruka received those powers from him. I received the proper powers of the Quincy."

Ichigo blinked and nodded. Before he could make a decision, Gina spoke, "Is it okay if I speak out of turn, Young Master?"

"...I guess...?"

She stared blankly at him and said, "I'm afraid His Majesty hasn't explained everything... While the Hollow lies dormant inside you, as you have completely dominated it, I recognized the power flowing through the Cross to your Hollow... A Fullbringer's power."

Ichigo stared at her, and suddenly it all made sense to him... So that's who Daruma really is... He then turned on his heel and began to walk out of the room. Gina watched in confusion before holding her hand out and questioning, "Young Master, where are you going?"

"...Take me...to where I'm staying..."

* * *

"...My son has never forgiven me for that... He's gone as far as to accused me of allowing Ginjo to steal from him..."

___...I'm sorry I'm late..._

"...Only because I saved him... And if you haven't noticed, he doesn't like being saved."

Ryo was actually angrier on the inside than she's let out. No wonder he vehemently denied returning to Karakura. She briefly wondered if she understood how much she's fucked her son up.

When she first began befriending Ichigo at Kagamino, he was depressed. She always assumed it was because of his annoying roommate, but secretly believed it was something bigger. I had to be, for it seemed that the scowl on his became an accessory.

However, remembering the woman's fight with Yhwach and how much it stressed her as she tried to get her to stay... It was enough for her to believe she did know... It was more sad than anything.

But she also realized something else...

"...You knew from the start that Ginjo would steal Ichigo's Fullbring, didn't you? That's why you came so late."

She waited... It had to have been more than a minute since she asked, but Masaki seemed content to say nothing. From that moment, she had lost all sympathy.

"...No wonder your child hates you so much...! You're his mother, but for how long do you think you can just keep him under your wing...? You're not protecting him, you're driving him away...! You basically handed him to the Wandenreich on a silver platter and made our job that much more difficult!"

Masaki turned back to Ryo with an intense glare and whispered furiously, "_You weren't there_...when Ryuken informed me that my son might've been _killed_ by Yhwach... And from what I've heard from that Tetsuo-fellow, you're quite good at keeping secrets, too!"

"Whoa, are you trying to pin this one on me!? After what you've done...!?"

Ryo trailed off, allowing the message to evaporate in the air. Before Masaki could even come up with a retort to defend herself, a deafening scream resounded from the living room, causing them both to rush to the area to see what was going on.

She noticed Tetsuo holding his mouth in a large gasp as he pointed at the femal- Wait, who the fuck?

"Who the hell is this!?"

The magenta-haired girl shyly (Though that was probably because everyone looked as if they were going to kill her) poked her fingers together and said, "...Uh...It's Riruka Dokugamine, but you probably remember me as Daruma Ryouseika..."

The Human girl's eyes widened and she accused, "You're the one that kept attacking Ichigo!"

She eep'ed and jumped over the couch as Ryo's foot nearly swept across her face. She held her hands up and said, "For good reasons, I assure you!"

"For what fucking reasons!? If you don't give me a good answer, ass kicking will commence in five! Four! Three-!"

She was interrupted by the clapping sound of someone from down the hallway and his drawling, sarcastic voice.

"Good job, Riruka. You got caught in enemy territory..."

A short, blonde child dressed in an all-black trench coat suit with a black fedora filed into the room, followed by a dark-skinned woman with medium-length hair dressed in simple cargo pants and a long-sleeved tan shirt.

"Yukio Hans Vorarlberna... I'm pretty sure some of you remember me...and my assistant here, Jackie Tristan."

Uryu, who had stood up, groaned as he saw the kid and said, "I thought I sent you packing!"

When she noticed Ryo and Tetsuo's confused faces, Masaki elaborated, "These three are all members of Xcution... We fought them after they stole Ichigo's powers."

___"...Around a year ago, I met a man named Kugo Ginjo... He told me something about me that not even I knew... Told me that I had powers of some kind, something called 'Fullbring'. Around that time, some man named Shukuro Tsukishima began targeting my friends, so I went to Xcution, Ginjo's little group, to gain the power necessary to protect them..."_

___ "...But that power...wasn't worth anything in the end... Ginjo deceived me, revealing that he and Tsukishima were partners... And he stole my Fullbring... I've been powerless ever since... Forced to sit on the sidelines..."_

"Ginjo may have stolen Ichigo's Fullbring, but he didn't keep it for himself."

Yukio placed his hands in his pocket and said, "That's all in the past now... Ginjo's dead, Tsukishima's dead, Giriko's dead, and Jackie here's powerless... Other than Moe Shishigawara, Riruka and I are the only two left... Xcution is nothing more than a business now..."

But then he turned to Rukia and said, "But she's sending it up in flames! What the hell am I paying you for if you're going to ruin everything!?"

"Damnit, Yukio, your plans should be better!"

As the group's heads moved back and forward like a tennis match, Ryo stepped forward and yelled, "All of you shut up!"

Tetsuo blanched at her before grabbing her arm and pulling her back while furiously whispering, "Do you not realize that we're the Humans in this room!? Everyone here could kill us if they wanted to!"

"Fuck that! Everyone last one of you has been away in Karakura, so only I know what Ichigo's done in the past year! I brought you all here to figure out how to save Ichigo, not bitch and mope! When will you all stop fucking around!?"

She then rounded on Yukio, whose eyes widened while he backed away from her.

"Now who the fuck are you, and why are you paying this bitch to fuck with Ichigo's life!? What kinda game are you playing at!?"

The room had gone silent following the girl's rant, and Orihime's mouth fell agape,

_'...Ryo used to be so quiet in high school... Has Ichigo really changed her this much...?'_

The blonde held his hands up in a surrender gesture as he quickly explained, "Ichigo's Cross was used as a Fullbring focus, so its traces are still on it. We were attempting to revive the Hollow that provided him with his power."

From behind Ryo, Riruka snidely commented, "While I don't appreciate that comment, bitch, you should be thanking me, cause I've been keeping him alive these past few weeks... Like the woman said, Ginjo split Ichigo's power among all of us... I've been giving back what we stole from him."

___He didn't even feel any pain when he collided hard with the cement below, though he did hear voices emerging from the door in front of him...and he did see the dark form standing over him with an umbrella, looking down on him._

_ He had long passed out as the figure whispered in his ear, "Don't think of this as the end... It's just the beginning..."_

"That night that he misaligned his spine, the Hollow repaired it."

_ His broken, battered body wasn't even able to move and get away as the man stood above him, the dark umbrella from that night in his hand. He was once again reminded of the situation with the dark figure that night._

_ "...You look kinda cute from this angle, don't you know...? I was just kidding about taking you all for myself...but then again... I didn't think I'd see the great ____'Ichigo Kurosaki'__ down on all fours...like __he's submitting to me..."_

_ The effeminate male grimaced in disgust as Ichigo vomited blood on his shoes, causing him to whimper as he moved away from the pool of blood._

_"Ugh, how revolting...! I hate getting dirty...!"_

"That day I kicked his ass... Guess what happened next?"

_His eyes were a piercing gold, trimmed the darkness of his black sclera. He began panting and breathing harder than before, as if something was happening to him. Tetsuo's eyes widened as he noticed something else._

_ "Ichigo!? What's happening to your chest!?"_

_ As the boy spoke, the skin in the center of his chest began peeling away, forming into a large circle._

"...And then earlier today?"

_Ichigo scowled as the snickering of the senior behind the desk grew louder and turned away to leave the building. As he hurried down the sidewalk, she ran next to him and began walking alongside him._

_ "I actually thought about following you the normal way... But I didn't think you wanted to explain to the front desk that you've been sneaking a girl into the male dorms."_

_ He sighed and shook his head. While not paying attention, he accidentally bumped into someone and absentmindedly apologized before moving around him._

_ Neither one of them ever realized that they had passed the maroon-haired menace who was watching them as they left through the rain._

"...And I'm pretty sure Uryu remembers what happened next quite clearly..."

_The orange barrier began fading to a blue color as it broke down into particles, and Uryu was gazing into Ichigo's eyes. His sclera had faded to black, and his normally brown eyes emitted a sky blue color. Ryo jumped from her seat in shock as soon as she saw them._

_ The broken down particles of Reishi formed into his Reishi sword, which he pointed directly at Uryu's throat. His expression had shifted into a particularly demented gaze as he grinned widely and mumbled, _**_"...Kill...you... Ishida..."_**

Riruka blew her fingernails and rubbed them against her busty chest as she claimed, "Unless anyone else in the room can claim that they've saved his life more than once, be my guest. I think I did a damn fine job, myself."

"What's with all of this fighting?"

Everyone turned towards the balcony as Yoruichi and Kisuke floated down and walked into the building. Masaki frowned as she saw them and mumbled, "So what did _they_ say?"

"It seems the Soul Society's more prepared than ever... He already figured that Yhwach would be making a move soon... It seems...the Soul Society's stopped messing around...since Yamamoto was killed..."

* * *

"Captain Feng, Ma'am! The Head-Captain's gathering a meeting immediately!"

In an office stood a woman of short height. Her long, dark hair was kept up in one large ponytail with two long, thin braids that was wrapped in white cloth. She wore a long-sleeved haori tied together at her waist with her Zanpakuto on her back. Sui Feng, Captain of Squad Two.

"Noted. We will head there now, Lieutenant Ekichiro."

Saido Ekichiro nodded before taking his leave out of the Captain's office alongside her... She was definitely unhappy... She lost her Lieutenant, her Third Seat, and her Fourth Seat in the same mission, a loss vastly unheard of from any other division. She was probably embarrassed.

The long trek to the First Division Barracks was unusually depressing... He's actually never been here. He wondered what the Captains were li-

"Oh my, someone looks ready to kill... Why so tense?"

Sui-Feng's eyes narrowed and she immediately retorted, "Do not speak to me, traitor, unless you wish your tongue to be departed from your mouth."

"Whoa...Intense..."

While his Captain continued on her way to the barracks, Saido turned and noticed the eerily grinning face of the Third Division Captain, Gin Ichimaru, behind him.

His hair had grown longer, falling over his eyes and, if possible, making him seem more scary than ever. His long-sleeved haori waved behind him as he followed them to the barracks. When he noticed the Lieutenant staring at him, his grin widened even further, causing the man to turn around.

What a scary presence.

He was rendered surprised when a large crashing sound emerged from behind them, causing his Captain to stop and he to turn around.

How odd was that the Captain that was just standing up was face-down into the ground with a body pining him down.

"What was it I said earlier? About harassing innocent bystanders, especially Captain Feng after her losses!"

A busty woman with long, wavy blonde had elbowed her Captain to the ground and pulled at his right arm, causing him to repeatedly tap the ground with his left hand. This woman was Lieutenant Matsumoto, now of Squad Three.

"Mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy, _mercy_, _mercy_, _**mercyyyy**_!"

Sui-Feng's lips curled up into a slight smirk as she said, "I'll have to thank you later, Lieutenant Matsumoto."

The two continued walking forward, ignoring the Captain's screams of, "That's my injured arm, Rangiku! Stop it!"

He wondered if all of the Captains were like that... They walked into the entrance where many other Captains and Lieutenants were standing around, waiting for the meeting to begin.

On the far right side of the room was a long-haired redhead Captain with a sleeveless haori standing next to a short, purple haired woman with a short bob haircut. Renji Abarai, Fifth Squad Captain and his Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori.

Near them, a large Captain with spiky, black haired leaned on the wall next to a bald Captain. A pink-haired girl jumped around his shoulders playfully as she bothered the spiky-haired man next to the bald one, who was talking to the Fifth Squad Captain.

The large one wore a long-sleeved haori with no top underneath and a gold belt with the Kanji for 'Sword Master' underneath. Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki with his pink-haired Lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi...but she might have changed it to Unohana.

The shorter, bald one wore a sleeveless haori, while he and the man next to him both wore sleeveless Shihakusho. Ikkaku Madarame, Captain of Squad Nine and Shuhei Hisagi, his Lieutenant. Saido still remembered when the Head-Captain discovered his Bankai and practically forced him to be a Captain.

On the far left side, a woman stood next to a blonde man with slicked blonde hair. In front of her was a large wolf and his Lieutenant, a mobster-like man.

The woman had white-hair placed into a ponytail with a red tie, like her former Captain Unohana. She wore a sleeveless haori with the backpack that all members of the Fourth Division wore. Isane Kotetsu and her Lieutenant, Yasochika Iemura. Poor girl hasn't been the same since Unohana died... He heard that her younger sister became the Third Seat in order to keep an eye on Isane.

The wolf Captain wore a sleeveless haori with golden armor all over his body. Sajin Komamura of the Seventh Squad and his Lieutenant, Tetsuzaemon Iba.

Out of all the Captains, the only two that seemed to not interact with anybody was the black-haired man in the far back of the room and the white-haired child closest to the door.

The Captain with the long dark hair stood next to a girl of the same stature. He wore a sleeveless haori with a high collar and a scarf that wrapped around the back of his neck (like one would do with a towel) with both ends hanging near his knees, and usual accessories that came with being a noble.

The woman standing next to him would have appeared as his twin if she had been taller and had too worn a Captain's haori. Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki, the adopted siblings who are the the Captain and Lieutenant of the Sixth Division, respectively.

The white-haired child closest to him stood next to a blonde with with long, wavy hair. He wore a long-sleeved haori with a teal scarf wrapped around his neck. A pair of white boots and gloves topped off the frosty nature of Toshiro Hitsugaya, the Tenth Squad Captain, and his Lieutenant, Izuru Kira. He had switched with Rangiku, as she wanted to be closer to her long-time friend, and he wanted to get away from him.

That still left four other Captains to be accounted for. However, one of them was revealed when the door opened and he peeked outside.

The man had dark-blue hair that reminded him a lot of Shusuke Amagai. He wore a lab coat, like all of the members of the Soul Research Development Institute wore. His, however, was customized like the haori's of the Captains, containing black diamond and circle patterns at the bottom and the insignia for the Twelfth Division on his back.

Next to him was his Lieutenant, a black-haired girl who wore a Shihakusho with puffy shoulders that wrapped around her thighs. The father and daughter pair, Mayuri and Nemu Kurotsuchi. He never knew why the Captain had forgone the make-up.

With his bottom lip pouted out in boredom, he drawled out, "The Head-Captain is ready."

As he spoke, the Lieutenants and the Captains piled into the room. Two of the Captains were already in their spots, which was two white-haired men.

One of them possessed short white hair and golden eyes, along with tanned skin. He had a small black mustache on his face. He wore a sleeveless haori. This was Chojiro Sasakibe, former Lieutenant of the previous Head-Captain, and the current Captain of the Eight Squad.

After the death of the man he respected so, he offered to take the current Head-Captain's old position while he and his Lieutenant moved to the First Division. Maybe the event of losing his previous partner was the reason he still had not found a Lieutenant.

The other Captain too had white hair, though it was kept in a bushy ponytail on his back while his bangs combed to his right. He, unlike the first man, was pale and sickly. His long-sleeved haori was marked with the insignia of the Thirteenth Squad and he, Jushiro Ukitake, was its captain. The brown-haired man behind him was Sentaro Kotsubaki, the Lieutenant after his other Third Seat left to comfort her sister.

At the head of the hall was the Head-Captain himself. He was dressed in his lavish pink kimono atop his Captain's haori for the First Division. He, like Saido himself, wore a straw hat over his wavy brown hair tied in a ponytail. He sat back in the large chair situated for such an important figure, his hat falling over his eyes. Shunsui Kyoraku, the Head-Captain of the Gotei Thirteen.

Next to him, a no-nonsense type of woman stood there silently fuming. She had oval-shaped glasses and wore her dark hair into a large bun in the back of her head. She wore a necklace similar to a maid and white gloves. Nanao Ise, Lieutenant of the First Division, and her Captain's loyal partner.

Currently, while the Captains were lining up, she was glaring right at the Head-Captain who sat there with his head facing down. It seemed that the more he snored, the more irritated she became.

"You idiot!"

Only she could get away with calling him that.

Suddenly, she reared her fist back and punched him in the jaw, waking him up immediately. Majority of the Captains sweatdropped.

Only she could get away with hitting him like that.

_'...He was just in a meeting with those three Captains... Was he taking a nap while we all stood out there?'_

Before she could punch him again, he raised his palm up blocked her while yawning, "I'm up, I'm up... There's no need for this kinda violence, Lil'Nanao..."

Just for good measure, she reared back and punched him again anyway before returning to her position as if nothing happened.. He whined softly as he rubbed his sore nose and turned to address the Captains.

"...Earlier today, the Lieutenant, the Third Seat, and the Fourth Seat of Squad Two was eliminated in the mission to capture Ichigo Kurosaki, son of Isshin Shiba... By a group of Quincy known as the Wandenreich... I gave you all reports about them weeks ago when they Saido Ekichiro spotted them... And we know from Shusuke Amagai's last transmission that they are able to steal Bankai."

The entire hall stayed silent.

"I was informed...that an hour ago, Ichigo Kurosaki was recruited into the Wandenreich. What they plan to do with him is unknown, other than a potential weapon. When they may attack is unknown... But Urahara believes they may not fully invade the Soul Society until Ichigo Kurosaki is at a sufficient level. That may be weeks or months."

He stared up towards the ceiling where many different Zanpakuto hung, including Ryuujin Jakka...and Engetsu...

"As a last request to a fallen hero, all Wandenreich are to be terminated with extreme prejudice...but the son, Ichigo Kurosaki, must be spared."

* * *

"...He has chosen to stay, Your Majesty..."

Yhwach stood on his ice empire while overlooking many of the buildings. Behind him, Haschwalth stood with a confused expression.

"...But I don't understand... He doesn't fully trust you, and even more so after you've told him about his mother... I was sure he would leave."

He turned towards Haschwalth and said, "Is it not obvious to you? Why he has chosen to stay?"

When the man stared at the Monarch with his questioning gaze, the man elaborated, "...When I told him the truth, he fought long and hard with himself over whether to trust me or not... I told him the truth that his mother never gave him and I've given him the choice to leave... But he also understands...that every lie his mother has given him was to protect him... Does that help?"

"...I understand a little..."

His face turned dark as he looked far below on the empire's grounds where two white specks crossed them. One speck was tinged with orange, and the other with red.

As Ichigo stepped across the frozen concrete, dressed in the white cloak that was given to him by Gina, he felt eyes piercing through him. He turned and looked up the top of the castle, locking eyes with Yhwach as the man stared down at him. He felt the hand of the attendant grab his arm and pull him away.

"Please, this way, Young Master... The tower is here..."

The Quincy Monarch narrowed his eyes and commented, "...He stayed to keep an eye on me. He thinks to assassinate me...if I step outside of his comfort boundaries."

* * *

Trivia:

-This is the last chapter of the Back From Black Arc, and next starts the Wandenreich Arc.

-Basically, if all of that is still not understandable, Ichigo isn't Hollow-Quincy, as he's broken down its powers. However, since Hollows can breathe in Reishi, and the Hollow's remnants are on Ichigo's cross, he can absorb Reishi at a faster rate. He won't be prone to any Hollowfied control loss situations anymore.

-Most of Masaki's personality is based on Zangetsu(Quincy Powers), as he feels(felt) the same about Ichigo. Maybe that'll give a better idea of how Ichigo's and Masaki's relationship develops over the story.

-Ichigo's Quincy development is similar to his Fullbring development: Ginrei Kojaku and First Fullbring have the same shape with similar powers. His second forms are based on energy swords. The last forms are exactly the same except color and cross-guard.

-It's worth noting that Yhwach has not attacked Soul Society yet and will not until his weapon is prepared (Ichigo).

-Shunsui is the Head-Captain, as Yamamoto is dead in this one. He does not have his eye-patch and torn ear yet. Nanao's design is similar to Kanae Katagiri, but with glasses.

-Sui-Feng's design is combined with Yoruichi (Yoruichi cuts her hair as Sui-Feng grows it out) as she has her long ponytail (though she still has her two short braids) and the long-sleeved haori like Yoruichi used to (Though tied at the front like usual). Saido Ekichiro is now her Lieutenant.

-Gin is still alive, and is referred to as a traitor (Wonder why...Hmm...) and his right arm is sore (Wonder why...Hmm...). Shunsui allowed him to stay as the Captain of the Third Division. His design is similar to his initial Arrancar Arc appearance(Long-Sleeved Haori held together in the front, except it has the designs of a Captain's haori. Matsumoto switched with Kira to keep an eye on him. Her design is basically the same as Canon time-skip's.

-Unohana has been killed (Insert sad face) in this story, so Isane's taken her place. Excluding the sleeveless haori and medical bag, her design is similar to Unohana during Turn Back the Pendulum arc. Her Lieutenant is Iemura (The blond who talks in his diary). Her sister moved to her Division to comfort her.

-Renji has taken over the Fifth Division, and Momo is his Lieutenant. Renji no longer has his hair in a ponytail and has a sleeveless Shihakusho. Momo uses her Canon time-skip design.

-Byakuya's design is time-skip, but it has a scarf around the back of his neck and reaching to his knees (Like when one puts a towel on the back of their neck. Rukia is his Lieutenant and is basically the design of the long-haired Rukia you may have seen on Google.

-Komamura and Iba are basically the same.

-Chojiro has taken over the Eight Division as Shunsui needed him in a Captain's spot (And mainly, the only person he truly partnered well with was Yamamoto). It is that reason that he has not found a Lieutenant. He still functions as an adviser for Shunsui.

-Ikkaku has taken over the Ninth Division (Because Shunsui forced him to) and basically uses Kensei's design. Shuhei is basically the same.

-Toshiro's outfit change is actually based on Tosen. It probably won't come up until the Soul Reapers are back in the picture, though. As stated, Matsumoto has switched with Kira, who is now the Tenth Division Lieutenant. His design is based on Rose.

-Kenpachi's long-sleeved haori represents Unohana, and the belt represents that he has become the official Kenpachi (He killed Unohana in this story, but let's pray its not true in Canon). It is for this reason that Isane extremely dislikes him. Yachiru changed her last name to Unohana.

-Mayuri has forgone his make-up for a reason, though like Toshiro, this won't actually come up until later, and he wears a lab coat design like a Captain's haori. Nemu is still Nemu.

-Jushiro's design is based on Turn Back the Pendulum Arc, except his ponytail is thicker and wavier like Shunsui's. His Lieutenant is Sentaro as he no longer has to compete with Kiyone.

-Gina, Riruka's sister, is Ichigo's personal attendant and protector. She basically functions as the Kanae to Ichigo's Ryuken without the romance.

_**Arc Trivia:**_

_**Timeline of Events**_

**-(Nine Years Prior)** Ichigo Kurosaki, aged 9, is attacked by Grandfisher alongside his Mother. His mother and himself loses his power to Yhwach, though the Hollow accesses Ichigo's Quincy abilities and uses Sklavarei to absorb Ichigo's Quincy power, Masaki's Quincy power and her Hollow ("White"), and Grand Fisher. His mother lost her powers that night, and Isshin was able to become a Soul Reaper again.

**-(Five Years Prior)** Isshin consistently leaves the house as a Soul Reaper under the guise of 'narcolepsy'. Ichigo seeks to become a Soul Reaper.

**-(Three Years Prior)** Isshin passes away, and the Hollow/Zanpakuto begins speaking to Ichigo. A week after his death, Masaki destroys her son's Soul Reaper powers. In order to make up for its loss of Soul Reaper power, Zangetsu(Hollow/Zanpakuto) breaks down the Reishi of Grand Fisher, which it uses to survive.

**-(One Year Prior)** Tsukishima begins targeting Ichigo's Friends. Xcution targets Ichigo and he manages to become a Fullbringer, using his (Unbeknownst at the time) manifested Quincy Cross. Zangetsu is the Hollow used for its basis, and its traces still remain on the Cross.

Ichigo is tricked into losing his power by Ginjo, and Masaki allows it so he could become powerless again. Zangetsu is stolen, leaving only "White". Since Zangetsu absorbed Ichigo's Quincy Abilities, they were available again when it disappeared (Though not awakened). "White", being absorbed as a product of Sklavarei, begins to wear off.

Masaki's group battle Xcution. Ginjo, Tsukishima, and Giriko are killed while Yukio, Jackie(Powerless), Moe, and Riruka survives. Riruka, Moe, and Jackie works for Xcution, Yukio's personal business.

After losing his powers, Ichigo runs away to Kagamino to escape, where he becomes friends with Ryo Kunieda and Tetsuo Momohara. Wandenreich begins targeting Ichigo. Riruka follows Ichigo and takes on the disguise of a bisexual student from Miyashita, Daruma Ryouseika.

**-(Start of Quincy Craft: Back From Black Arc)**

_(First and Second Day-Friday and Saturday)_ Yhwach follows and awakens Ichigo's powers by shooting him near his heart, and Saido Ekichiro watches and reports to Gotei 13. Riruka begins feeding her stolen powers of Zangetsu to "White". "White" repaired Ichigo's body and manifested his Cross for him. Masaki is informed her son is 'dead', causing her to despair.

_(Second Day-Saturday)_ Ichigo's begins to accidentally absorb Reishi. Haschwalth reveals himself to Ichigo and explains his power. He introduces Ryo and Tetsuo to the afterlife.

_(Sunday-Friday before Finals Week)_ Ichigo begins hunting Hollows. He meets Saido Ekichiro. Haschwalth leaves him the Seele Schneider to better his sword skills.

_(Saturday before Finals Week)_ Riruka beats Ichigo to death to feed the Hollow once more, which puts him in the hospital. Haschwalth writes a separate note to break Ichigo apart from his friends and aid in his decision to leave.

The Hollow awakens briefly to utterly defeat Saido Ekichiro and is attacked by the Stealth Force's top Seated Officers. Haschwalth's attendants save him. That night, Ichigo explains the concept of Fullbring to Ryo and Tetsuo. Ryo and Tetsuo sends the message to his friends and family, causing their immediate departure.

_(Sunday before Finals Week)_ Ichigo is attacked by the Stealth Force, and is saved by Haschwalth. He learns about Bankai and the Wandenreich, and asks to leave later that night.

_(Sunday Night) _Ryo follows Ichigo so his friends can track her phone. He bumps into Riruka, who feeds the Hollow once more. When his friends capture him, the Hollow attacks again, though shortly. Haschwalth and Yhwach appear to save Ichigo and defeats his friends. Masaki and her group appear to save Ichigo.

Ichigo completely dominates the Reishi of the Hollow and unlocks his Spirit Weapon. Yhwach and company escape to the Wandenreich with Ichigo and Masaki and company leave to Ryuken's condo.

Yhwach and Masaki explain to Ichigo and Ryo respectively about Ichigo's Hollow powers and Masaki's secrets. Riruka and Xcution are discovered and Soul Society prepares for the moment the Wandenreich will attack.

Ichigo joins Juhabach to determine if he's a person he must kill.

**-(End of Back From Black Arc)**

**Chapter 1 Trivia**

**-**Originally, when I started planning Quincy Craft right after I completed Trascender, it was exactly like Canon except that Bambietta played the role of Rukia and he was given the powers of a Quincy. It never got off the ground, so I decided to wait for more info about the Wandenreich.

-Another concept I briefly had (that I used in Kill the Moonlight) was that Ichigo was drafted by force into the Wandenreich.

-Originally Ichigo was supposed to go to Tokyo City, but then I realized that two fake cities (Naruki and Kagamino) were in the story. There's no way in hell that he would've went back to Naruki, considering the Fullbringers, so I picked Kagamino.

-Before I came up with Daruma, it was originally supposed to be one of the gangsters that Ichigo beats up constantly in Canon suddenly developing a man crush on him, as a joke reference to Chizuru.

-When originally written, Daruma Ryouseika was his own character (Named Niji Ryouseika-"Rainbow Bisexual Flower") and was supposed to be a rebel Quincy trying to overthrow the Wandenreich and the one who left him the Quincy Cross. It wasn't until Chapter 5 that I decided to go back and make him Riruka in disguise (Miyashita reference, the same school as Moe Shishigawara and comments about Ichigo making his shoes dirty). In another plot, he was supposed to be a Soul Reaper in disguise working for Urahara.

-Before I decided that Ichigo's college friends would be from Karakura (To have a connection with his friends back home), Tetsuo was meant to be an OC gangster that Ichigo beats up and becomes his roommate and friend. Ryo was originally an OC that was meant to be more similar to Orihime in weirdness.

-The maid that Ichigo runs by was one of the original planned Stern Ritter that watched Ichigo (Candice Catnipp), but I decided to change her.

-When written initially after deciding to use Karakura characters, Ichigo and Ryo were supposed to be secret friends-with-benefits. I decided not to, and came up with Satoda as Ryo's boyfriend before Chapter 5 to keep that from developing.

**Chapter 2 Trivia**

-When originally written, the date at the restaurant was supposed to be a romantic date (When they were initially paired).

-The title of the Chapter, first Chapter, and this entire arc came from Ichigo's originally written quote to the Hollow before I kept laughing and decided to get rid of it ("I'm back from the black, bitch. It's go time.").

-The dark-haired waitress was originally supposed to be a Stern Ritter that watched Ichigo (Either Bambietta or Giselle Gewelle).

**Chapter 3 Trivia**

-When Ichigo mentions Tsukishima, he brings up how his friends tell him that he cried with Tatsuki and Orihime while Tsukishima fought Sora. In this story, Ichigo saves Orihime from Sora during the Fullbringer Arc (This probably messed a lot of readers up.)

-When I first wrote the chapter, Ichigo's anger about Ryo calling Uryu was initially because he was jealous of him when he was younger (Ishida had powers while he didn't). While he simply didn't want to see any of his other friends, he didn't want Uryu to know because he was embarrassed.

-As stated earlier, when Ryo and Ichigo were originally sex buddies, Tetsuo's accusations were supposed to be true.

-One of my plot ideas was that Masaki and company were supposed to retrieve Ichigo earlier. The original plot was that Ichigo had eventually returned to Karakura, but tries to hide the fact that he may go to the Wandenreich. Another was that they never went to get him, and he comes back secretly recruited by the Wandenreich.

**Chapter 4 Trivia**

-The Spider Hollow was actually supposed to be given a more important role, but I opted not to and used the opportunity to introduce Saido.

-Originally I had planned for Yamamoto to be the Head-Captain (Hence the reason Omaeda calls him 'Old Fart', though in Chapter 8 he calls Shunsui that as well), but another idea entered my mind, so I changed it to Shunsui. The Captains were to be the same as before Aizen's betrayal.

-Sui-Feng was described in this Chapter as Canon, however as you can see in Chapter 12, that has retconned.

**Chapter 5 Trivia**

-Tetsuo's protection reference was another poke at Ichigo and Ryo's original relationship.

-Satoda was given a more important role initially. He was actually written to follow Ichigo instead of Ryo (In another draft, He follows Ryo following Ichigo). In the end, he simply became a reason for her to protest against Ichigo not going to Karakura. I then went back and added mentions of him in the earlier chapters.

-Ichigo was originally meant to completely fuck Daruma up (When he was meant to be a Soul Reaper in disguise), but then I came up with Riruka and the Hollowfication and decided to have the opposite happen.

-When Daruma was a Soul Reaper in disguise, the reference he makes to working for a stranger in black robes was originally Urahara, whom Ichigo also believes as well. It's actually Yukio.

**Chapter 6 Trivia**

-Originally, there was supposed to be a bigger struggle between Ryo and Tetsuo against Saido, but realized that a Soul Reaper isn't supposed to attack a Human.

-Ichigo was meant to talk with Zangetsu(Quincy Powers) as he was meant to save him from the Hollow and absorb it, which was how he gained the Hollow powers.

-Kasuki and Kenichiro were the original names of Ryo and Tetsuo when they were OCs.

-I actually didn't want Ichigo to have a mask at first, which is why his Hollowfication was more like Masaki's before the end of the chapter.

**Chapter 7 Trivia**

-Saido was meant to have a Bankai, but then I would have killed him off (Ryo and Tetsuo's comments about him dying was a mention to this). I wanted him to live, so he hasn't used it yet.

-I had accidentally written the three Quincy as Stern Ritter (It was supposed to be Jerome Guizbatt, Bambietta, and Haschwalth himself.) I forgot that the Stern Ritter weren't supposed to know about Ichigo, so I changed them to Haschwalth's attendants (The female one is the Blonde with the black sclera).

**Chapter 8 Trivia**

-The waitress here wasn't given a small description like the other Stern Ritter, but she was meant to be Bambietta, and was supposed to fight either in Haschwalth's place, or alongside him and Ichigo to even the fight out.

-I also had the brief thought of having Daruma make an appearance to even the fight out, but opted not to.

-While not actually mentioned, Shusuke and Kibune had their powers from the Bakkoto without needing it.

**Chapter 9 Trivia**

-I originally planned for Ichigo to learn both Blut Vene and Arterie to fight on equal standards with Shusuke's Bankai at 10% of his power, but I didn't want to overpower him like that.

**Chapter 10 Trivia**

-Ryo was originally written to follow Ichigo to the Wandenreich.

-Orihime was meant to be his ex when I began planning for her appearance.

-The reason he has blue eyes instead of yellow when the Hollow breaks through again is because he has completely dominated "White's" Reishi.

-The layer of Fullbring being referred to is the "Enhanced Invader's Must Die"(Where Yukio brings the games to life) that gives Riruka her disguise.

**Chapter 11 Trivia**

-The fight with Masaki and company against Yhwach was supposed to be much longer. However, I didn't think either character would have went all-out in such an early battle, so I shortened it drastically.

-I intended for the fight with Gina and Riruka to be shown, but I hadn't finalized her fighting style yet.

-I went through a bunch of characters before settling on Gina as Ichigo's attendant (Yoshi from the Bount Arc, a reincarnated Hisana, A OC sister of Liltotto Lamperd, Senna, Nozomi, and even Ryo if she would have gone with him). At one point, a recruited Nel was definitely finalized as his assistant, but the Wandenreich hadn't invaded Hueco Mundo yet either, so she wouldn't fit, and I picked Gina to be a foil to Riruka. This is partially why Gina's clothing and hairstyle is similar to Nel.


	13. Stern Ritter

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

It was only a matter of time before the boy drew attention to himself, Haschwalth mused as he and his fellow Stern Ritter marched across the halls of the Wandenreich base. Aimlessly wondering, this group was, when Bazz-B randomly asked, "So...have any of you seen this new guy that's been going around the 'Reich'?"

Bazz-B, a particularly crude and short-tempered man, was the Stern Ritter assigned the letter 'H'. His hair was styled up into a long mohawk and he wore a pair of earrings in both of his ears.

To Haschwalth's right, a large man glanced at the mohawk Stern Ritter and questioned, "And who are you talkin' about?"

This large man had on a star-designed mask covering most of his face except his chin and a large mustache. This rather dull man was Mask de Masculine, Stern Ritter 'S'.

Bazz-B grunted and added on, "You know, the one that His Majesty spent the last couple of weeks going after...? One of you guys had to have seen him..."

To Haschwalth's left, a dark-haired girl put her fingers to her lips and hummed, "Ah, you must talking about the orange-haired cutie that was brought here last week."

This girl had dark hair that with two strands of hair stuck out from the top like antennae. She wore a white trench coat and black leggings under her white cloak, and a small peak cap on her head. Giselle Gewelle, Stern Ritter 'Z' and quite a lewd person, he might add.

She slyly looked to her right and commented, "Weren't you assigned with watching him, _Jugo_? His Majesty did say that at the last announcement, didn't he?"

Jugram Haschwalth, also known as Jugo, closed his eyes and simply replied, "I was."

Clearly not accepting that answer, Bazz-B frowned incredulously and exclaimed, "Oi, throw us a bone here, Jugo! What's the guy like? He has to be special if His Majesty directly went and retrieved his ass personally!"

"...He's just a Quincy...the son of Masaki Kurosaki."

Behind Haschwalth, another voice, slightly creepy in nature, spoke up and asked, "Did you just say Kurosaki?"

Looking over his shoulder, he saw a dark-haired man with a black mask covering the lower half of his face. As Nodt, the assigned 'F' of the Wandenreich.

At the man's question, Bazz-B raised an eyebrow and noted, "Ain't that family just about wiped out? Is he the only one left?"

Giselle stuck out her bottom lip and playfully quipped, "Might wanna keep him away from Candy and Bambietta, if that's the case... Otherwise, he'll be dragged off to their rooms by the time the day's over with."

Bazz-B scoffed and replied, "Not before I get my hands on him...! If he's part of a family like the Kurosaki's, then he's gotta be worth something!"

As Haschwalth listened to the various discussions about Ichigo Kurosaki from his fellow Quincy, he saw a flash of orange and red out of the corner of his eye. He noticed both Gina Dokugamine and the man walking in the opposite direction of the group.

He hoped that neither one of them saw, but fate worked against the boy as As Nodt pointed out, "Isn't that the one right there? Next to the Dokugamine girl."

There he was, dressed in the white ankle-length coat and hooded-cape of the Pfadfinder uniform, topped off with the diagonally-placed black sash. Completely unaware that from that point on, he was a target of interest to all.

Bazz-B's gaze swept in the direction that As pointed out, and a gleeful, sadistic smirk crossed his face. Haschwalth took notice of this and grabbed his shoulder while reprimanding, "Don't you dare..."

He slapped the man's hand away as he took strides over to the boy. and jested over his shoulder, "It's not like I'm gonna kill him or anything... I just wanna see what he's made of... Just a lil' bit of fun, Jugo...!"

The blonde cursed as he neared the boy and yelled, "Oi! Are you the Kurosaki brat!?" and began storming behind him as well.

Ichigo's head slowly turned as he caught sight of the man rushing towards him. Before he could get near him, however, Gina quickly moved and stood between him and Bazz-B with her hand near her Quincy Cross.

"Sorry, sir. I'm under orders to not allow anyone to-"

He interrupted her by growling, "Bitch, move!" and immediately pressed his hand to her face, pushing her out of his way. Ichigo's eyes widened considerably as she hit the frozen ground and his cape flew up from his left side, revealing his hooked Quincy Cross clipped on his waist. His right hand moved to it and, in a flash of bright light, drew a sleek, pale-blue sword with a silver edge and a long white hilt.

"I don't know what the fuck's your problem, but you've got the wrong idea for an introduction!"

He swung it towards the man's head, though he simply raised his gloved hand and grabbed it. Ichigo watched helplessly as the man applied pressure on it and shattered it into pieces.

"That weak shit offends me!"

Bazz-B reared his fist back to deliver a bone-crushing punch, but it was grabbed by Haschwalth. He squeezed it tightly and grounded out, "...I told you to leave him alone, Bazz-B. His Majesty doesn't like fighting in his presence."

The man slowly tilted his head to glare at the blonde over his shoulder. Haschwalth nodded his head towards the upper area of the castle where Yhwach was standing above them and looking down on them.

He snatched his hand away from his grasp and turned back to Ichigo with a wide smirk. He simply chuckled and swiped his thumb across his lip before turning around and walking back towards the group.

He looked over his shoulder and said, "You best be ready when His Majesty ain't around..._cause I'm comin' for ya_."

Ichigo frowned watched as he moved back to the gang of Quincy and was met with reprimanding from most of them ("You really are no different than Bambietta...! Stop attacking new recruits!"). Bazz-B waved them all off and murmured, "That kid raised a sword immediately after I attacked the woman... That one's a fighter..."

Haschwalth turned to Ichigo and said, "You need to be more careful... You're the new recruit, personally handpicked by His Majesty himself... You have too many bulls-eyes painted on your back."

"I'm fine... I don't care..."

If only he could feel that way inside... That was frightening, to say the least. Haschwalth wasn't lying when he said there were a lot of powerful Quincy here... He definitely needed to hurry up and get stronger...

The Stern Ritter frowned at him before turning around and leaving, presumably to go with the group. He looked down at Gina, who groaned as she picked herself up from the ground. He held his hand out, much to the girl's surprise as she stared at it dumbly. Ichigo blinked at her and deadpanned, "...You're supposed to grab my hand so I can pull you up."

Hesitantly, Gina reached out and grabbed his arm and hoisted herself off the ground. She dusted herself off and sighed mournfully as she readjusted her clothing. She looked down at her feet and shook her head. He heard a slight sniffling sound emit from beneath her overshadowed bangs.

_'...Was she crying...?'_

"...I-I'm sorry, Young Master..."

Ichigo blinked in confusion and asked, "For what?"

"...I'm sorry I c-couldn't...s-stop him from harming you."

He raised an eyebrow at her complete meekness, wondering if that really caused her so much pain. He shrugged and replied, "...That's not your fault... And I didn't want you to, anyways..."

She looked up at him with reddened eyes, presumably from her sniffling, and reprimanded, "Nonsense! As your protector, I'm to-!"

"I didn't ask you to protect me. Don't ever do something like that again."

She slightly jumped back as he brushed passed her and continued walking to their destination, and she tilted her in confusion before shaking her head and following him.

* * *

The two finally made it back to Ichigo's quarters, which was nothing more than a slightly large hotel room in Ichigo's opinion, though he wasn't complaining. As he kicked off his shoes and threw away his cloak, Gina picked them up behind him and put them away.

Ichigo yawned and fell back on the couch before asking, "So who was that, anyways? Mr. Mohawk?"

Gina looked over Ichigo from across the room as she folded his cloak up and placed it in his cabinet. She answered, "...That was Master Bazz-B, one of the Stern Ritter of His Majesty's forces... May I speak out of-?"

She covered her mouth up before she could finish as her ward rolled his eyes and leaned back on his couch. For some reason that she couldn't understand, it annoyed him whenever she asked him that.

"...I mean...Uh... He's a bit of a ruthless fellow who enjoys fighting... Which was what he was probably going to make you do..."

Ichigo nodded and drunk from his glass of water before asking, "So what's a Stern Ritter? I've been hearing it all the time since I got here, but I ain't got a damn clue on who they are."

She closed the cabinet door and stepped over to him while answering, "The Stern Ritter are the top Quincy of the Wandenreich, each selected by His Majesty and assigned a letter based on their powers. They are comparable to the Soul Reaper Captains and Lieutenants of Soul Society."

___'So that guy was pretty tough, then?'_

"Oh... So he probably would have killed me?"

She looked down at him and blinked before saying, "In less than a second if His Majesty wasn't around. You're nowhere near his level of combat...if I may speak out of turn, Young Master."

He narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance, especially after the way she kept her expression blank even when he could see the mirth in her eyes. Since when could she make jokes?

"...If that's the case, then I need to get near the level of a Stern Ritter... If he attacks me again, I need to make sure this never happens again."

Ichigo punched his fist for emphasis and reached over for his glass of water. He was prepared to drink before he noticed that Gina still stood next to him, watching him blankly without falter.

"...Are you going to stand there? You do know you can go to sleep or something... I promise not to die while you're gone."

She still stood there and watched him. He stared back and waved his hand in her face while calling out, "Hellooo? You listening?"

In a deadpanned, almost drawling manner, she replied, "You're sitting in my sleeping spot."

Eyes widened, he turned to her and sputtered, "I-I thought you had your own quarters!"

"...This was my quarters until you arrived. I sleep here now."

Really? So when the lights went out, she slept here and woke up before him? He blinked and looked down at the couch before simply ordering, "Take the bed. Don't argue, just go to sleep."

Her eyes displayed shock for moment before she gathered herself and insisted, "There's no way I can take the Young Master's bed-"

Ichigo crossed his arms and declared, "That's an order. Don't argue and go to sleep!"

To make his point more clear, he fell to his side and laid on the couch before turning and facing the back of it. Gina blinked in confusion.

"...Why does this guy try to make my job more difficult?"

* * *

The next day, while being guided around the Wandenreich, he came across some Soldat that were running around it, like a track team. Another sight he noticed was that a rows of Soldat stood in front of some upper-ranked superiors.

"...Are there no training grounds here or something? It seems everyone's training together..."

Gina looked over her shoulder as she guided Ichigo around the Wandenreich and answered, "Most Soldat are trained in groups... You can think of it like boot camp, or basic training in the Human world... Stern Ritter have large enough rooms to train in, but everyone else doesn't receive those privileges."

No wonder the Stern Ritter are so vastly superior... Everyone gets the same training, but the ones who are the best at it are handpicked by Yhwach to become a member of the Stern Ritter...and everyone else falls behind with lack of originality.

Ichigo frowned and asked, "So why am I not with them, then?"

"...His Majesty deems you above these Soldat. You have sufficient abilities that no one on this base possess... He believes it will be a waste to train you like them."

...Or he wished to paint a target on my back... That explains why the Stern Ritter were all interested in him. But what 'sufficient abilities'? When he voiced this question out loud, she gave her answer.

"...All Stern Ritter are given power from His Majesty and are assigned a letter. That letter represents their abilities that awaken from the power given to them... But you are different... You possess your own set of powers that would simply...___reject_ anything that His Majesty gives to you."

Ichigo realized that she must have been referring to the Fullbring traces on his cross. So he was like the Stern Ritter...

"So when does this actual training start?"

Gina eyed him from out of the corner of her eyes and said, "Right after this meeting."

"...Meeting? What meeting?"

* * *

This had to be the most boring thing ever. He'd been standing in line with other Soldat in the large audience room for at least half an hour. All because the old man had some sort of announcement to make... And then Gina took off somewhere else, so he had been standing in line with a lot of unknown faces.

"Crosses! Everyone!

The sudden yell of one of the upper-ranked Wandenreich members caused Ichigo's eyes to widen as everyone held their Quincy Cross up to their chest.

___'Oh shit! I gotta-!'_

He panicked and reached down to unclasp his Quincy Cross from his belt. He fumbled around with it before it fell to the ground. With a small squeak of embarrassment, he bent over and picked it up before pressing it against his chest like everyone else, ignoring the snickering of several Quincy behind him.

"Salute, his Majesty Yhwach!"

The old man eased his way onto the stage and stared out across the gathering of Quincy below him. He locked eyes with Ichigo for a moment before addressing everyone when his voice rung through the hall.

"Are all the Stern Ritter here...? Good... Stern Ritter, I have something to announce."

Ichigo watched as everyone straightened themselves out for the next announcement. He felt someone tap on his shoulder, and looked over it to see who touched him. It was a young male Quincy with short dark hair.

The Quincy leaned in closer to him and whispered, "You can stop saluting now."

Ichigo looked at everyone around, noting that they allowed their arms to fall to their sides. He gave the man a thumbs up before turning back around and dropping his arms to his side.

"...The last announcement was about the recruitment of a Quincy from an old family line... Ichigo Kurosaki, son of Masaki Kurosaki."

He noticed that many of the Quincy did not look in his direction... Whether it was because of the fear of breaking rank, or the fact that they didn't know what he looked like, he was just glad to not be the center of attention... He didn't need anymore targets painted on his back.

"...During that last meeting, I also spoke about our next plan of operations... Now, I will tell you our next operation. In two weeks time, we...are going to war with Hueco Mundo, and will possibly be stationed there for quite some time."

___'Going to war with a bunch of Hollows? What do they have to do with anything?'_

"This operation is the first stepping stone to our plans... Stern Ritter 'D', Stern Ritter 'E', Stern Ritter 'H', and Stern Ritter 'J', stay behind...to await further orders."

* * *

Ichigo paced down the halls after the meeting with confusion written on his face. He had readjusted his patrol cap (that Gina made him wear to blend in for the meeting) and leaned back into the wall while sighing... Where was she, anyway?

"...They're going to invade Hueco Mundo...but for what reason?"

A condescending, though joking tone laughed behind him, "It's like you don't know anything... For a Soldat, you're pretty uninformed."

Ichigo turned to his left as the dark-haired Soldat from the meeting sauntered up to him, followed by other Quincies. The man placed his finger on his lips as he tried to recognize Ichigo.

"...I don't remember seeing you at all in Allgemeine Grundausbildung... No wonder..."

The man held his hand out and introduced, "I'm Claudius Kelby...and you are...?"

He briefly wondered if he should lie and tell him a fake name... He shrugged, realizing that everyone would know anyway... He shook his hand and revealed, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

That simple introduction was enough to shock the dark-haired man, along with every other Soldat nearby. He blinked and noted, "...You're the one His Majesty personally handpicked?"

Ichigo nodded and fell back against the wall with another great heave... If more people realized who he was, he was definitely going to blame Gina for not showing up, as he could hear the murmuring and see the pointing of the nearby Quincy.

The man rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled awkwardly, "Well that explains why you're so clueless on His Majesty's plan to overthrow the Soul Society!"

His eyes snapped wide open as pushed himself from against the wall and turned towards Claudius.

___'That's it!? All of this to invade the Soul Society?'_

Was it for revenge for that massacre over two hundred years ago? Uryu told him about that a long time ago, and it was why he had always hated Soul Reapers.

___"For a thousand years, I was sleep. I was defeated long ago by a man named Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto...and I sealed myself away to recover from my great loss."_

That name his father and Yhwach spoke of, Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto... He was told that he was the leader of the Soul Society... Is that why? A blood war that's lasted over a thousand years?

He wasn't able to ponder upon it any further as he heard the scream of annoyance from down the hall. Claudius looked over to Ichigo and grabbed his shoulder.

"Oi, newbie, we have to line up! One of the Stern Ritter is coming!"

Slightly disoriented from being pulled from his spot, Ichigo hurried into the area next to Claudius and stood there as the other Quincy did. While standing straight up with his head in the air, he barely managed to get a peek at the Stern Ritter heading his way.

It was a young girl with straight and long dark hair. She wore a thigh-length trench coat under her Stern Ritter cloak, knee-high boots, a miniskirt, and black stockings. She also wore a heart-shaped belt buckle and a white cap.

Considering all of the other Stern Ritter had already left, she must one of the ones that Yhwach kept behind. It was clear that this was true, as she was cursing it as she stormed down the hall.

"I can't believe I have to spend the next month in a desert...! Ugh!"

She stopped right in front of Claudius and Ichigo and turned her head towards their direction (though Ichigo was thankful that she wasn't staring directly at him). She continued to walk, though she kept her finger pointed at the man next to him.

"You."

Cladius's eyes widened as he yelled, "Yes sir!"

The shock of being selected seemed to not wear off as he dumbly pointed at himself and, as if he was trying to reassure himself, repeated, "M-Me...!?"

"Yep, y-!"

She stopped suddenly, and Ichigo cursed the moment she realized he was there.

___'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit...! Goddamnit, Gina, where are you!?'_

Her fingers shifted in his direction and she motioned for him to follow her.

"No, I want _you_... If you aren't busy, my room...now!"

___'Wait, what? Want me for ____**what**____ exactly?'_

Should he tell her that he was waiting on someone? He'd probably get in trouble if he did.

"...That wasn't a suggestion, it was an order,_ soldier_."

In response, Ichigo bowed his head slightly with reluctance and answered, "Yes sir," before following behind her, hoping whatever she wanted wouldn't last long.

As the soldiers separated upon her leave, Claudius visibly dropped as she walked off with the newbie and he mumbled, "I can't believe...she wanted the newbie over me..."

"Hey, you."

He blinked and turned, discovering that a red-haired woman stood behind him. She pressed on, "Have you seen my ward, Ichigo Kurosaki? Orange hair, you cannot miss him."

One of the other Quincy pointed his thumb in the direction that he left in and said, "Lady Bambietta's gotten a hold of him. You just missed him."

Gina's eyes widened in shock and fear, and her bottom lip quivered as she murmured, "Oh dear..."

* * *

"...Haschwalth, come here."

Yhwach, who had taken to standing above the Wandenreich base and watching Ichigo, motioned for his second in command to stand next to him. The man quickly moved towards the Monarch and asked, "What is it?"

"...Please inform Quilge Opie to begin preparing his Jagdarmee for this next operation... Be sure to tell him to make room for one more addition."

* * *

Trivia:

-This chapter introduces the "Wandenreich Invasion" Arc.

- Allgemeine Grundausbildung translates to "General Basic Training".

-Claudius is a name meaning "the lame one" and Kelby is a name meaning "dark hair". Thus, he is the "dark-haired lame one" that got himself cut in half because he thought Bambietta was gonna let him do the nasty.


	14. Give it to Me

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

It had been quite a walk, Ichigo thought, as they finally arrived at her room. Most of the time, she kept asking him questions, predominantly about his orange hair... It wasn't bleached, damnit!

He watched as she kicked opened her door with her boots and confidently strode in her room with her hands on her hips. He followed behind her apprehensively, hoping this wouldn't take long.

It was quite a large room, decorated with many curtains with a single table in the center of it. Behind the table was a small staircase leading to a double door, which he figured was her bedroom... Gina wasn't lying when she said these rooms were big.

"Should we lock the door? I think it's more exciting if we leave it open, don't you think?"

He raised an eyebrow in response to that question. He stood a few meters away from her door and witnessed her whipping off her cloak and throwing it away. She stopped and looked at him from over her shoulder and winked while seductively whispering, "You should look happier... You're going to experience one of the _best moments of your life_."

Wait, what? Did she just say what he thought she said? _That's _why he was here?

He gulped as she turned around fully and stared at him as she slowly placed herself upon her desk. She shifted her rear end side to side as she tried to make herself comfortable (Or at least that's what Ichigo told himself to keep the perverted thoughts out of his head).

Too focused on what was underneath her skir- I mean, while he was staring blankly into space (To maintain his integrity), he never realized when she had unzipped the top part of her vest, giving him a slight view into the slight swelling of her breasts. She traced her finger along her jawline before motioning for him to come closer.

"...How are you going to do anything when you're all the way over there?"

He took a few steps forward before stopping a few meters in front of her, something that almost caused her to lose that alluring smile. She clicked her tongue before slyly commenting, "...You still have on too many clothes, soldier. A man in uniform is nice, but that's not what I'm looking for tonight."

This wasn't right... No matter how much he was enjoying the view, he shouldn't be doing this...until she leaned forward in his direction, which caused him to immediately take off the hooded cape. It's been a while since he was with a woman, but this didn't sound like a bad idea.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she egged him on, "...There we go... Just get comfortable... _Give it to me_..."

He was preparing to take off the hooded trench coat as well until the slight flash of blue entered his line of sight. He barely managed to move out of the way as the whooshing sound of a swinging blade nearly bifurcated him.

He fell onto the floor and crawled backwards away from her as she hopped to her feet and sighed before sauntering over to him.

"...I guess you're more prepared than most Soldat... The average soldier wouldn't have been able to dodge that one."

He rolled back and slid further away as he gripped his Quincy Cross.

"...I don't trust anybody here, so I'm always on edge."

Bambietta raised an eyebrow and said, "You don't trust any of your own comrades? That's not a good thing, soldier."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her ironic statement and deadpanned, "You just tried to kill me."

She looked to the side as she mumbled, "...Maybe I should have waited until we were done. The point of this was to relieve stress, not add on to it."

She sighed frustratingly and held her blade out, which was a weapon similar to a Chinese dao. She dashed forwards toward him as he drew his Spirit Weapon and clashed with hers, and her eyes widened as she gazed upon his weapon.

_'This mere Soldat has manifested a Reika Buki!? Impossible!'_

While she was to busy admiring his blade, he used his weight to through her backwards, sending her sliding across the floor. When she looked up, she realized that he was gone. She turned as he appeared behind her and tried to cut her, which she blocked and let him fly past her.

She flashed out of sight with Hirenkyaku and tried to flank his side, though he appeared behind her and surprised her again.

_'He's quite proficient with Hirenkyaku! He might even give Shaz a run for his money!' _she thought to herself as she blocked and repelled each of his strikes. After one last attack, he began flashing around her rapidly, creating and surrounding her with afterimages of himself.

Clever, but he was making too amateur of a mistake.

_ 'His problem is that I can see the trail of Reishi he leaves behind after each of his movements...'_

Grabbing her blade with both of her hands, she swung forward and collided with Ichigo before leaping over him and flipping in the air. He smirked and whispered, "I got you."

He held his blade down as Reishi swirled over it, creating the shaped of his cross-guard and Quincy Cross out of it. He grabbed his blade with both of his hands and swung the large disc of Reishi towards Bambietta as she fell from the ceiling.

Her expression shifted into one of shock and she brought her blade up to block the disc. The grinding and shocking of the disc to her blade vibrated against her hand and, after a long struggle, she managed to send it flying to the side of the room.

When she turned back to Ichigo, she watched as he drew a massive gathering of Reishi into his blade much to her surprise.

_'No way! Is this some form of Blut Arterie on his sword!? No ordinary Soldat could do something like this!'_

He screamed a war cry as he leaped into the air with his blade and the flowing Reishi behind him. He cut into her shoulder, spraying blood from the large wound and splattering the ground with it.

She landed on the ground in crouch and stared blankly at the fallen drops of red liquid staining her floors.

"You know...you're a little different than the other Soldat, though you have no foundation whatsoever."

Ichigo skidded across the floor and turned mid-slide to face her. She stood to her feet looked down at her torn sleeve and ripped it off, and he watched as a circuit-board-like pattern appeared on her shoulder and sealed the wound.

_Haschwalth stopped in his tracks as a black, shadowy figure emerged from the flames. A white, circuit-board pattern circulated through the silhouette's body, causing his eyes to widen._

"...You suck at controlling Reishi, soldier. You can gather it fast enough, sure, but you don't know how to maintain it."

She sighed and stood to her feet while staring at him with a cold, calculating expression. She wiped away the remain blood with her gloved right hand before pulling the middle finger of it and taking it off. She did the same with her left hand glove and clapped her hands together.

"...You fight like some Hollow, or a Soul Reaper... They use energy from within themselves, and thus, its easier and simple for them... As Quincy, our powers come from outside... We gather Reishi, and we have to use our Reiatsu to maintain it... To fight properly, we must maintain our concentration."

_He swung it towards the man's head, though he simply raised his gloved hand and grabbed it. Ichigo watched helplessly as the man applied pressure on it and shattered it into pieces._

"You have no idea about how to contain the large amount of Reishi you gather. You lack concentration, so your weapons and attacks shatter apart easily, and its easy to follow your movements when you leave behind such trails of Reishi... You should have learned this in Basic Training... If I was truly fighting as a Stern Ritter should, you'd be dead."

He wondered why she was busy teaching him this when she was trying to kill him. His question was answered as her face tilted downwards, covering her eyes in darkness as she gleefully stated, "I'm gonna come at you harder, soldier! Try to last until I'm satisfied!"

Well...she was definitely having fun. Her frustrated gaze that she once held when they first entered the room was replaced by the expression of a child with a new toy... Was this some kind of stress relief?

However, he didn't have time to ponder it as she pounced on him immediately. He turned as she quickly maneuvered behind him with her right fist raised. His eyes widened at the pattern on her arm, as it was different than the other one.

He tried to gather Reishi into his left arm at the moment of contact, and he briefly saw the pattern appear before her punch shattered all of the bones in his left arm.

As he was thrown away by the force, he flipped onto the wall and kicked off of it, heading towards her with his blade as she flashed in front of him and clashed with her in the center of the room.

"Ah, that's better! You're quite fit, aren't you, soldier!? Does this not feel good!?"

Mentally, he grimaced at her choice of words... For someone who was seducing him just minutes ago, it definitely seemed as if she wasn't trying to stop... Did _she_ even know what she was saying?

He raised his foot behind and she narrowed her eyes as the flash of Reishi appeared again. Immediately, it slammed into her ribs.

_'...Hirenkyaku...to enhance the speed of his kick!?'_

She was sent flying towards the ground and Ichigo raised his blade. He began gathering Reishi into it again, and a brief thought came to his head.

_He was running from Hollows as they were nearing him. He felt a hand grab his shoulder and push him back. He looked upon the back of a man with dark hair dressed in dark clothing. A white sash hung from his left shoulder._

_ 'Dad?'_

_ The man slowly drew his Zanpakuto from his sheathe and held it up in the air with a single hand. A gathering of blue-and white energy was emanating from it. He gripped it tighter and whispered, "Getsuga..."_

"Tensho!"

He swung the arc of Reishi towards the Stern Ritter, whose eyes widened as she gazed upon the enlarged Heilig Pfiel. She brought her blade up to block it and, after a short struggle, repelled it towards the back of the room where it blew a hole into her bedroom wall. She grinned widely in ecstasy as she charged forward with her blade poised to strike.

At that moment, Ichigo landed on the ground and took off into a mad dash towards her, his arm flashing with a blueish-white light. Time seemed to slow down as they neared the other, each of their blades reared back to finish the other. They gazed into the other's eyes, and Bambietta's widened for a moment. Whether in joy or shock, he couldn't discern it...and it didn't matter anyways.

With a clang, the two clashed and skidded by the other, coming to a crouching stop as they faced the other side of the room. They stood there for at least a minute before one of them spoke.

"...Shit..."

Ichigo cursed as he watched his blade shatter apart... The right side of his collar bone burst into blood as he fell to his knees and stared at the ceiling.

"...I guess...its over..."

Slowly, he collapsed onto the ground in a pool of his own blood, his Quincy Cross reverting to its original form in his right hand.

Bambietta stood up from her crouching position and let out a sigh of relief. She looked at him over her shoulder and whistled.

"Impressive, soldier..."

She looked down at her Spirit Weapon, which had shattered apart and revealed the broken Quincy Cross beneath its form. The pieces fell helplessly from her hands and clattered against the floor. She sighed and began zipping her vest up, commenting, "Impressive indeed..."

"Aaahhh, geez... You always make such a big mess when you do it!"

Bambietta slightly jumped in shock when she turned around and noticed four Stern Ritter standing at her entrance. She let out a huff of annoyance and drawled, "You're one to talk."

The youngest of the four girls tilted her happily and replied, "Bloodstains and candy leftovers are completely different, you stupid bitch."

This young girl had short blonde hair under her white cap. She wore a white skirt and patterned leggings. Liltotto Lamperd, Stern Ritter _'G'_.

To the left of Liltotto, the busty, violet-haired woman sighed, "Haven't you at least thought about doing it outside?"

Her clothing was quite similar to Bambietta, though it contained many frilled clothing, a large neck bow, and she wore her cap sideways. Meninas McAllon, Stern Ritter _'P'_.

The long-haired blonde woman next to Meninas groaned, "It doesn't matter if it's outside or inside! I meant that disgusting habit of killing hot young soldiers when she's pissed!"

Giselle Gewelle, from the farthest side of the females, smirked and slyly commented, "You do like to take the young ones out for a ride, don't cha Candy...?"

The chesty blonde wore a coat tied above her hips and a pair of hot pants with a heart-shaped belt buckle on her left side. Candace Catnipp, also known as 'Candy', and the Stern Ritter _'T'_.

She turned towards the black-haired Stern Ritter angrily and growled, "Don't accuse me of such things! Don't get your face busted up!"

She noticed that Giselle had turned her attentions to the man on the ground, completely ignoring her.

"Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Giselle's hand went to her mouth as her eyes fell upon the spiky orange hair and she turned towards Bambietta and, with great panic, asked, "Please tell me you didn't kill the cute strawberry there, Bambi!?"

Candace's fist curled up in anger as she roared, "Look who's talking now, huh!?"

Still ignoring the raging blonde next to her, Giselle's fingers twitched as she yelled, "That's Ichigo Kurosaki, you ignorant bimbo!"

Bambietta expression turned into shock as she turned back to the group of girls, who all covered their mouths as they gasped. Liltotto's mouth flapped wide open as she exclaimed, "Uhh-ooohhh! The slut's gonna be in biiiiggg trou~ble!"

However, the girl's were rendered speechless when she turned back to Ichigo and chuckled, "No wonder... That explains things..."

Meninas held her hand to her chest as she reiterated, "...You _killed_ him! Honey, you are going to be in so much trouble!"

The wounded Stern Ritter shook her head as she gathered her fragmented Quincy Cross and replied, "No... He saved himself actually, even when I tried to kill him."

_At that moment, Ichigo landed on the ground and took off into a mad dash towards her, his right arm flashing with a blueish-white light._

"Knowing that he wasn't strong enough to overpower my attack, he...switched to Blut Vene at the last moment to keep himself alive... A mere Soldat doesn't have that high a fighting potential to perform a maneuver like that under such circumstances..."

She shuffled the pieces of her Quincy Cross around in her hand sadly and praised, "...I see...why His Majesty is so interested in this boy..."

_They gazed into the other's eyes, and Bambietta's widened for a moment. Instead of his usual chocolate-brown eyes, they had shifted to the cold color of Reishi, and his scelera flashed a black color._

_ With a clang, the two clashed and skidded by the other, coming to a crouching stop as they faced the other side of the room._

Bambietta heard a knocking on her door and turned to see a redhead entering her room. The redhead's eyes widened upon seeing Ichigo's body lying on the floor. Before she could fall into a panic attack, the Stern Ritter reassured, "He's not dead. Now it's best you explain to me why you've entered my quarters unannounced, Soldat."

Gina saluted and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry for being so rude, Lady Bambietta, but that man, Ichigo Kurosaki, is my ward... I was ord-"

The dark-haired girl sighed and said, "Save it. Just take him."

The girl bowed and hurried over to Ichigo's body before grabbing him and placing him over her own shoulders. She bowed to Bambietta and the other Stern Ritter and apologized again before shuffling towards the door.

"Hey, woman."

Gina stopped as she as she was about to cross the threshold of the door. She gulped and prayed to the gods above as she slowly turned towards Bambietta. The girl's lips quirked up in a smirk and she said, "...Tell Kurosaki to visit my room tomorrow... That was a pretty wild ride, and I'd love to do that again..."

The redhead sweatdropped and answered, "That's a negative... I'm sorry, Lady Bambietta, but I don't think he would want to-"

With her bottom lip poking out, Bambietta deadpanned, "I'm not gonna kill him. I just show him a thing or two... That way, he can..._satisfy_ me fully next time..."

"Oi! I don't quite appreciate that idea!"

The Stern Ritter scowled as Candace brushed past her and said, "Tell him to come to _my_ room! I'll teach him better than this psycho ever could!"

Liltotto sighed happily and said, "It's always nice to see two whores at work, don't you think?"

Giselle chuckled behind her hands as both Bambietta and Candace turned to the two girls with rage clearly visible in their red faces. Neither one of them had realized that Gina had crept out as they began to argue.

* * *

It was with great pain that Ichigo woke up the next morning, his shoulder and arm still sore from the other night. As usual, Gina stood over his bed, watching him as he slept.

_'It's definitely gonna take some time to get used to that...'_

He groaned as he lifted himself from his bed and looked over at his attendant and asked, "Water, or anything..."

Apparently, she already knew he was going to ask, as she had a glass waiting for him in a second. He downed it just as fast and handed it back to her.

"...So did you come get me?"

She nodded and apologized, "I'm sorry I took so long, Young Master... But I was discussing things with Master Opie."

He peeked out at her from the corner of his eye and said, "Who?"

"...Master Quilge Opie is the Stern Ritter 'J' and the Executive Hunting Captain of the First Jagdarmee. He and his unit will be the main attacking force in Hueco Mundo in the coming week."

Ichigo gave a look of understanding and swung his legs over his bed to stand. He got up and prepared to get ready for the day.

"...He wants you to join the First Jagdarmee as his Second-in-Command."

He looked over to her with confusion on his face and mumbled, "So basically, Yhwach wants me on the front lines and ordered him to add me to his squad."

Gina looked to her side and deadpanned, "Yeah, pretty much. He killed his Lieutenant right in front of me and told me to bring you to him today... However, if you aren't feeling up to it, Young Master, I can-"

"No. I'll go... It'll just...be a mome-"

He paused in his sentence, and Gina turned to him in worry and asked, "Young Master, what is it!?"

He turned and looked over his shoulder and asked, "How long have you been standing there, Stern Ritter?"

In the large window to his left, Bambietta Basterbine sat at the bottom with her legs crossed, seemingly waiting for him to notice her presence. When he noticed, she smirked and cheerfully announced, "Long enough! Now, are you gonna do it with me, or what?"

Ichigo blinked and immediately rejected, "Hell no! I'm never _'doing' _anything with you anymore!"

Her bottom lip extended outwards in a pout and she whined, "Whhhyyy? Wasn't it fun yesterday!? Didn't that fight really get your juices flowing!?"

His eyes widened at her choice of words and he immediately yelled,"No!"

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Well... Sadly, you don't have a choice in the matter. You see, I rank higher than you, _Soldat_, so you listen to me, whether you want to or not...and I _order_ you to come train with me."

Ichigo's eyes widened, and she continued, "You're worth more than those other Soldat, who're nothing more than quick stress relief... You were like, a masseur...," and her smirk returned with extreme force and she sly added on, "..._with a happy ending_, if you get my-"

"Yes, I get it. Get to the point."

She narrowed her eyes at his lack of respect, but simply finished, "His Majesty wants you to go to Hueco Mundo to get stronger, I presume, which is he added you to Quilge's squad. However, at this current moment, you are worth nothing more than your position...a high-ranked Soldat. Before its time to go to war... I'll have you fit for the spot of Stern Ritter."

* * *

Trivia:

-Reika Buki is Japanese for "Soul-Synthesized Weapon". Basically, a metallic weapon.

-As Bambiette reveals, that wasn't Getsuga Tensho. The name came to his mind, but it's nothing more than an enlarged Heilig Pfiel.

-Ichigo didn't turn Hollow at the last second. That was intentional on his part, but the reason isn't coming up till later.


	15. Gate to the Sun

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"I already told you yesterday... Your problem was quite noticeable. The reason we Quincy are perceived as weak is due to our fighting style... We have to be able to consciously draw Reishi in, and consistently maintain it with our Reiryoku... You can draw it in quite impressively, I might add, but you're too focused on the battle to hold it together. You lose your concentration, you lose your construct."

_'She's right... It's hard as hell to fight as a Quincy! So much goddamn work!'_

Back in her recently repaired room, Bambietta sat on her table and watched as Ichigo was forced to fight a group of her Soldat. As she stated, Ichigo's reflexes in battle were amazing, coupled with his ability to draw Reishi in so fast... Sadly, he had to release it just as fast as he could get it... While he beat them simple enough, it was more so because of his skills, and definitely not his Reishi maintenance.

She sighed and took the lollipop out of her mouth with a large pop. Looking over at the moaning Soldat, she clapped her hands and asked, "Are you guys fit to fight again?"

One of the Soldat on the floor groaned his denial and was promptly struck in the face by a Heilig Pfiel, courtesy of Bambietta. Ichigo grimaced as the blood splattered on his body, and he was consistently disgusted by it each time she killed another soldier. She already did it three times since he came here.

She pointed at another Soldat who was quickly standing to his feet and ordered, "You! Go find me another idiot!"

He nodded and quickly ran out of the room. After a moment of silence, Bambietta turned back to Ichigo and said, "The strongest Quincy are those who can gather and maintain Reishi unconciously. If there was something could gather Reishi for you and allow you to maintain it yourself, or vice-versa, that would be great."

"...Something to maintain it...?

Bambietta pulled out the lollipop again explained, "Your Reishi-gathering skill is tremendous. Even more so than my own. However, you draw in too much that you never use. You solidify your weapons with your Reiryoku, but you still have loads of excess Reishi floating around your body... You've used Hirenkyaku plenty of times, but has there always been a flash of light?"

_If the Hollow's face could be seen, it would have definitely had the expression of surprise as the man it was fighting had suddenly disappeared in a blue flash of light and appeared below him._

_ He yelped as his face was no more than inches away from Ichigo's own, causing the boy to turn around and take off using Hirenkyaku again. Ryo watched as the two flashes of light zoomed away from her and, in fear for her friend, took off in the same direction._

"That's the excess Reishi still floating around... You are so focused on using the Reishi you've already gotten that you never used that excess Reishi to keep the form of your weapon. Now if you'd obtained better control of your Reiryoku, you would be able to lock that Reishi in, and never have to worry about it..."

Ichigo's head dropped as the two of them finished together, "But you/I have too much, so that's difficult..."

Bambietta snapped her fingers and said, "Exactly! Because that's out of the question, you 'll have to draw in that excess Reishi as well, but you suck at multitasking... You can't draw it in when you're in the middle of battle."

"...So I need something to keep the Reishi locked in for me?"

She nodded before looking down at her watch. Raising an eyebrow, she commented, "It's time for you to go to Quilge now."

Ichigo sighed angrily as he stood up to put his cloak back on. He'd just understood his problem and now this other Stern Ritter needed him. Bambietta, however, mistook it for being disappointed in having to leave her.

She smiled widely and teased, "Aww, there's no reason to be so upset... You can always stop by my room anytime you want... My doors are always open for _you_, _Ichigo Kurosaki_...and my bedroom doors, but we can discuss that later."

The perverted part of him got a few ideas... The sensible part, however, realized that this bitch was a psycho, and she probably wanted to try and kill him again. He nodded and bowed before turning and leaving the room just as soon as another 'idiot' decided to make his appearance.

"You're not needed anymore! All of you can skedaddle!"

She didn't have to tell any of them twice, as they all took off into a mad dash towards the doors and escaped. She sighed and began zipping her vest back up before she spotted something out of the corner of her eyes.

"...So you wanna play too, Jugo...? I always wondered what kinda fun I'd be able to have with His Majesty's successor... The _'Next Emperor'_..."

Haschwalth stepped out of the corners of her room and said, "You're the one who has taken Ichigo under your wing? For what reasons exactly are you helping him...?"

She closed her eyes as she jumped from her desk and placed her cloak on. She began humming as if she was thinking and simply said, "...Hm? He's cute with a lot of potential... I _like _cute boys with a lot of potential."

He narrowed his eyes and said, "You've no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

She took slow strides towards the bedroom and replied, "So what did _you_ bring him here for, then? Now, unless you plan on following me to my bedroom, I suggest you leave, _Haschwalth_."

* * *

On his way towards Quilge's position, he passed by a series of newly-dressed Soldat, very similar to the soldiers in the Human World. They wore white berets, black goggles, and a white gas mask, along with a short, collared cape.

"...What's with the gas mask? Any poison in the afterlife could probably bypass that..."

He didn't expect to be answered, though a voice behind him explained, "Reishi filters. It keeps revitalizing their Reishi when such gases, as you have mentioned, are pushed into their bodies, along with easily drawing Reishi for lower-ranked Soldiers in places where there's little to spare, like the Human World."

He turned around and spotted Gina, wondering where she had been all this time. She walked up to him and stood next to him, though he noticed she was staring elsewhere.

"Master Quilge is in the throne in front of those soldiers. We should head there now."

Ichigo nodded and moved to follow her before a soldier appeared in front of them and said, "You must be looking for Master Quilge. Follow me."

Both Gina and Ichigo sweatdropped as the woman waved him away, saying, "I know where he is. That isn't necessary...!"

* * *

After basically following them to their destination, the soldier had crouched in front of the Stern Ritter and said, "Master Quilge, I've brought Ichigo Kurosaki here, sir."

Ichigo deadpanned and thought, _'Not really! You followed us here!' _He decided to keep his thoughts to himself and focused his attention on the Stern Ritter sitting down.

He was odd looking fellow, Ichigo had to say. He wore the typical uniform of the Wandenreich, though with a shorter cape than usual and a pair of round spectacles. On his mostly bald head, he had a crop of black hair that fell to the right side of his face. Instead of watching the training soldiers in front of him, Quilge Opie sat in his throne-like chair with his fist dug into his cheek and his legs crossed.

All in all, he looked utterly bored and asleep, and he would have thought so if the man hadn't sarcastically replied, "Or Ichigo Kurosaki knew where he was going, thanks to his assistant, and you decided to tag along to see if you could get in my good graces."

When the Soldat began fidgeting, Ichigo sweatdropped as he immediately knew it was true. He hoped that he wasn't like Bambietta, randomly killing soldiers off... For a group of people who were nearly written off as extinct two hundred years ago, they definitely didn't value their lives...

"I'm _not_ sorry to report that you are _not_ in my good graces. Go away."

The man bowed and cursed slightly under his breath before hurrying off. Ichigo watched him walk away before turning back to Quilge as the man shifted himself around in his seat and stared directly at him.

_'So this is the Stern Ritter 'J'... Quilge Opie...'_

He leaned forward in his seat and voiced, "I've heard a lot about you... Gina speaks highly of you..."

_'Gina? What did Gina have to do with anything?'_

Eying her out of the corner of his eyes, Ichigo clicked his tongue and said, "It's not like I'm special or anything, regardless of what she says..."

Even though he was looking at his glasses, he could have sworn that they darkened just a little bit as she commented, "I've heard from his Majesty himself about your Hollow. You are, in fact, pretty special."

Ichigo knew that his own eyes must have bulged when he said that. Was he going to kill him now? He thought Yhwach would have kept it a secret!

_'Damn that old man...'_

"...Well, if he's told you about that, then he should have definitely told you that it's no longer there. It's probably gone by now."

Quilge shifted his glasses as he stood and said, "I know. I also know...that you've used Fullbring... As far as I'm concern, even you should realize that you are the perfect man to invade Hueco Mundo. In short, his Majesty wants to see how those Fullbring traces will react in that environment."

_'So the old man wanted to see if the Hollow came back? That's why he's sending me there?'_

"However, I'm to inform you that plans have changed, and we're leaving in two days."

Ichigo's expression fell as he exclaimed, "What!? Why!?" However, upon realizing how he sounded, he calmed down and coughed, "I-Is there any reason for that?"

"I said, we're leaving... As in, you and I, and a select few chosen by His Majesty... So be prepared to scout Hueco Mundo in two days."

* * *

"I knew you couldn't stay away from me for too long."

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance as Bambietta laid flat on her table, her right leg bent and crossed in front of her left knee. She softly caressed her own thighs as she held her face in her hands as if she was a show girl on display. The erotic smile on her face didn't help to ease his annoyance either.

He looked away and deadpanned, "Well, actually, I wouldn't be here if Quilge hadn't told me that we were leaving in two days."

Bambietta leaned up from her seductive position with a large scowl on her face and exclaimed, "What!? Why!?" However, upon realizing how she sounded, she calmed down and coughed, "I-Is there any reason for that?"

_'Where have I heard that one...?'_

"Well, he actually just said it would be me and him...and some other guys, or something... Anyway, that means I need two more days of training before I fight these Hollows."

She tilted her head to the side and said, "You do know that the Hollows in Hueco Mundo are completely different than those in the Human World?"

When Ichigo raised an eyebrow, Bambietta revealed, "Besides the more powerful Menos Hollows, there are the Arrancars that-"

"Arrancar? What the hell is that?"

He was stopped cold in his tracks as a blue flash of light seared by his face, courtesy of her newly-formed sword.

"Don't interrupt me. As I was saying, Arrancars are Hollows who've broken their masks and obtained powers similar to a Soul Reaper, including a Zanpakuto... In short, we'd still need to get you up to speed in two weeks to be able to match them... Two days won't really help much."

He had an idea of what he could do... But he wasn't too sure if he should tell Bambietta... Either reaction he had pictured about her in his mind ended with her trying to kill him.

"If anything, you should be busy trying to find a way to focus the excess Reishi into your body via Blut... You were able to save yourself by copying me, but you need to learn it for yourself to be able to sufficiently combat the Arrancar's offensive and defensive capabilities."

Ichigo watched as she hopped off the table with her blade poised to strike and knew that this was gonna be another one of _those_ nights...

* * *

"Rough time at Lady Bambietta's, Young Master?"

Like a hunched-over old man, Ichigo stumbled into the room with his palm rubbing the bottom of his back. He snarled at the amused assistant and limped past her before collapsing on the couch.

His muffled voice emanated through the cushions as he whined, "I've been violated..."

_"I'm gonna chop 'em off! You better use Blut Vene if you wanna have any children!"_

"...Utterly and completely..."

_"Yes! That's what I call **'balls of steel'**! Nice work!"_

"...I almost lost them for good..."

Gina grimaced as she patted her ward on his shoulder and set down a glass of water.

* * *

"Master Haschwalth... I'm glad you've returned..."

He switched on the lights to his room and was unsurprised to see his attendant still awake... She never went to sleep before he did. He sighed and unclasped his cloak before throwing it in her direction. She easily caught it and began folding it.

"...Have you been watching the Kurosaki boy, Master Haschwalth?"

He closed his eyes and denied, "There's no need... Everyone is watching him... I've done my necessary job..."

She hummed to herself as she placed the cloak up and said, "So why does your voice emanate only sadness, Master Haschwalth?"

He said nothing, and she turned away. As she walked towards the door, before switching the lights off, she turned over her shoulder and spoke, "I think you're doing the right thing, Master Haschwalth... There is no reason to be afraid."

He made no movement that he heard her and swiftly crossed the area towards his bedroom.

_So what did __**you**__ bring him here for, then?_

* * *

After two days of training, the day had finally come for his first trip into Hueco Mundo. He and Gina had gathered at the 'Gate of the Sun' and waited for the Quilge and the others that were supposed to be there.

"...I believe you'll be fine, Young Master. Stop worrying so much."

Ichigo deadpanned and glared at her out of the corner of his eye and mumbled, "Take your own advice... I'm not the one shaking in fear..."

He was right. Even though her expression was still blank, she continued to shake...and she wouldn't let go of his cape. Upon being discovered, she dropped her head as her shoulders began to shake.

"I-I'm sorry, Young Master! It-It's just that... I'm n-not going to be there with you! What if you get hurt or something!?"

A masculine voice came from behind them and laughed, "Then he should man the fuck up and don't bitch about it!"

Ichigo's and Gina's eyes widened and they turned around to see Bazz-B resting his shoulder against the wall, smirking the entire time. Similar to Ichigo, he was dressed in the Pfadfinder uniform.

His eyes narrowed as he locked gazes with Bazz-B's merciless enjoyment... Ichigo wondered what kind of sick game was Yhwach playing, sending him to a world with that Stern Ritter... It seemed like the Arrancars are going to be the least of his troubles.

Gina apparently thought the same way, as her grip tightened on his cloak. He frowned and whispered to himself, "It seemed it was unavoidable... I'd hoped to finish training with _it_ before it came down to this..."

_"That's a dangerous move, Kurosaki! It seems to work out for you, but don't use __**it**__ unless its really necessary!"_

"What's with that stupid look on your face, Kurosaki? You're not scared, are you? It's just some useless Hollows, for crying out loud!"

Ichigo flexed his fingers and murmuring, "I'm not afraid. There's no reason to be."

Bazz-B cracked another feral grin and rolled his shoulders before commenting, "That's the spirit, Kurosaki..."

"Oi, Bazz-B! We ain't got time for all that weak shit! Get in line!"

The mohawk Stern Ritter snarled and looked over his shoulder as two figures dressed in the same uniform entered the room. Both of them already wore the masked hoods of the cape, though they took them off.

The smaller one of the two was Quilge himself. The larger one had Ichigo looking high towards the ceiling, as he was twice his own height. He had dark hair that formed a chinstrap beard in front of his face.

He frowned as he looked down at the orange-haired Quincy and noted, "You must be Ichigo Kurosaki. You don't really look like much."

_'Yeah, compared to you!'_

He never knew Quincy could get that big... While he was focused on the large man, he never noticed the appearance of the other two Stern Ritter.

"It looks like we finally get to meet in person, Strawberry."

He turned as Giselle Gewelle peeked out from behind the large Stern Ritter and waved. When he raised an eyebrow, she elaborated, "I saw you at Bambietta's place, but you were clearly unconscious."

Next to her, a man with blonde cropped hair, full-framed glasses, and leopard spots on the side of his face stood there calmly and said, "Shaz Domino, Stern Ritter _'M'_. It's a pleasure to meet the famous _Ichigo Kurosaki_..."

"It seems you've all gathered. Good."

Ichigo turned as Yhwach and Haschwalth entered the room. The elder man narrowed his eyes at him before turning to address everyone.

"Your task is simple. Find a point of interest to set up our 'Theatre of Operation' and abduct any Arrancar you can... Try to finish up before this week is over with, so we can begin the invasion the next. Godspeed."

Every one of the Stern Ritter and Ichigo nodded and turned to face the large, silver gate. The empty blankness between it suddenly burst in pale-blue light, which Ichigo realized was Reishi. He noticed that the Stern Ritter began to line up and took a spot behind Quilge.

"Masks on! Operation Batalla has begun! For His Majesty!"

"His Majesty!"

Ichigo had no idea who said that, but followed suit with everyone else. He gave Gina a brief nod before turning ahead and letting out a long sigh. The six masked figures took to a slow military march as the crossed the gate to the Hollow World.


	16. No Church in the Wild

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

A desolate, lonely place was all that Ichigo was met with when he arrived at Hueco Mundo for the first time. Nothing more than an endless white desert and a seemingly unchanging night sky. He stood alongside the other Stern Ritter, who began making plans for their scouting operations.

A masked figure that he knew to be Quilge glanced around at the seemingly endless desert and informed, "Our best bet would be to separate ourselves into groups or single teams and span whatever we can. If you can find a capital or a base, then that would be good enough to report back to His Majesty."

The extremely large figure, whom he discovered to be the Stern Ritter _'O'_, Driscoll Berci, disagreed and exclaimed, "Screw that! I'm taking the single route! Tell me if ya find something important!"

They watched as he disappeared from his spot into the vast desert with Hirenkyaku, and Quilge sighed angrily, "I should have know that the barbaric man simply wanted to kill... Bazz-B, are you leaving alone as well?"

The other medium sized hooded figure shrugged and said, "I can look out for myself. You need to make sure that somebody watches _little Kurosaki_ here..."

Ichigo was glad his expression was hidden behind his mask because his looks would have buried the snickering Stern Ritter two times over. He might have if a hand didn't stop him from doing so.

"I'll go with him. Shaz, you and Quilge can move together."

The Stern Ritter Jagdarmee Captain nodded and motioned for the flamboyant Quincy to follow him as he moved into the desert. Ichigo looked over at the masked individual that was Bazz-B, who stood there staring at him.

"...You might wanna be careful round these parts, Ichigo Kurosaki... Never know what might get ya..."

He chuckled before leaving in an opposite direction as Quilge and Shaz, and Ichigo huffed frustratingly before the female Stern Ritter next to him said, "We should move as well... We won't get anything done standing around here..."

* * *

It had been hours since they were all together, and Ichigo sighed as he leaned back against a rocky wall. Giselle had disappeared into some cavern, and she forced him to wait outside. He looked down at his watch, noting that it had been awhile since her last appearance... He wondered if she was okay.

"...Maybe I should check it out..."

He frowned at the thought and decided to wait a little longer. He was rendered speechless as the sound of a dragging emitted from the cavern, and felt winds blow out of the cavern. Three bodies, all tied up, came soaring through the air and stopped near his feet. He looked down at them at them with narrowed eyes.

They appeared more human-like compared to Hollows, but their faces definitely weren't. One of them had an elongated face with earrings, along with horns on the top of his head. The other two had plenty of bone fragments on their faces, and a large hole was visible on one of their bodies.

"Arrancars."

Ichigo turned back to Giselle as she sauntered out of the cavern while dusting off her hands. She placed her hands on her hips and said, "Hollows who've broken their masks and gained powers similar to a Soul Reaper. I wanted you to see one first hand before you're accidentally tricked into thinking you've met a human."

He frowned beneath his mask and replied, "There's no way I wouldn't be able to tell the difference... That mask says it all..."

"...The thing is...the more powerful Arrancars have the least bone fragments... Those kind are usually Vasto Lordes... The most powerful type of Hollow."

Ichigo nodded, and the woman pointed out, "Inside of this cavern is a forest... There may be a lot more Hollows and Arrancar there... Let's go."

"What about these three?"

She turned towards the three struggling Arrancars and opened her robe slightly before throwing a small tube towards them.

"Gritz."

Ichigo watched as it burst into Reishi and flowed around them, surrounding them in a large, film-like prison. Giselle turned back to Ichigo and said, "There. They aren't going anywhere now... Now we move."

* * *

"...So, you have been training with Bambietta for the past few days, have you not?"

Ichigo frowned as he moved through this supposed forest. Each of the trees were made of nothing but minerals, and it was still just as desolate as it was above the surface.

He turned towards Giselle and answered, "Yeah, and what's your point?"

"No reason... I just remember Bambietta telling your assistant to bring you back...You don't have to be so hostile, ya know... We're on the same side..."

He gave no answer as he continued to follow her through the forest. He could feel the eyes of plenty of Hollows watching them, but he wondered why neither of them were coming.

"...Is there some sort of trap...? I can tell they're watching us, but they haven't made a move yet..."

Giselle stopped in the middle of her path and turned over her shoulder and asked, "Wait, what do you mean you sense them?"

_'The Reishi in the air is too thick, and its impossible to sense Hollows when they're hiding it... What is this boy...?'_

"Where do you sense them? Are they close by?"

Ichigo simply stared at her and revealed, "Yes, they're close by. As a matter of fact, they're surrounding us this instant."

As he spoke, he heard a voice yell out, **"Banzai!"**

He looked into the air as a gang of Hollows appeared from the trees and dropped down on their positions. Before his hand could grab a hold of his Quincy Cross, Giselle's hand grasped his as she pulled out her own Quincy Cross. It was an ordinary cross, except two wings extended from its sides.

The next thing he knew, a breeze of pale-blue winds circulated around them, and the Hollows were no more in a mere instant. If he wasn't wearing the hooded mask, Giselle would have clearly seen his 'Oh shit!' expression.

She placed her cross back under her robes and looked over at Ichigo before explaining, "I'm the _'Z'_ of the Stern Ritter... The _'Zephyr'_. The letter corresponds to our powers given to us by His Majesty personally. Mine allows me to shift Reishi through the air with the winds to attack from a distance."

_'So those letters do represent something...'_

"...I thought the old man just needed help remembering the alphabets..."

Ichigo stopped and gulped when he realized he said that out loud. Her masked face simply stared at him for a long time, and he wondered if she was going to attack him for disrespecting the Monarch. Suddenly, giggles emanated from her mask as she turned to walk away.

"...That's pretty funny... You might want to watch your mouth around people like Haschwalth and Quilge though, as they aren't too fond of disrespect to His Majesty."

He blinked as she walked away, thankful that he wasn't going to be chewed, but at the same time, wondering why she wasn't too angry. Ichigo prepared to follow her until a powerful signature entered his senses. Sensing it coming from above, he held his hand out to the girl and shouted, "Oi! Look out!"

She turned around at the exact moment the powerful burst of Reiatsu destroyed the area between the two, causing the ground to rumble and some of the trees to fall over.

"Now, Asguiaro! Luders!"

Two shadowy figures emerged from the top of the ceiling and created another explosive reaction, causing Ichigo to fall on his back. Behind the shadowy figure, rocks began tumbling as the cave prepared to collapse in. He and Giselle were now separated by a wall of rocks, and he was left with this Hollow in front of him.

The silhouette emerged from the smoke, revealing a burnt-orange afro on the head of a man dressed in white. His outfit included frills on his collar and thighs, a sunglasses-shaped plate, and orange bands on his wrist. He shifted his bony shades as he stared down at Ichigo.

"So who are you, invader of Hueco Mundo? You seem Human, but your power speaks other volumes."

He realized that his mask had slipped off during the collapse, so he moved to his feet and decided to face the Arrancar. He tilted his head to the side and questioned, "...You're different from those Arrancar from earlier, aren't ya? What's with that afro?"

The Arrancar raised an eyebrow and said, "I could say the same thing about your hair, amigo. But you never answered my question. Are you Human, or not?"

Ichigo sighed as he dusted his clothing off and informed, "I'm not allowed to reveal that information to you, Arrancar. So will you come quietly, or shall I force you?"

The man raised an eyebrow at the Quincy and said, "And what makes you think I'm going anywhere with you, Human? The moment you stepped foot onto this plane of existence, your life was held in the hands of the Goddess... So in her holy name, you shall fight for your life, amigo."

In response, Ichigo held up his Quincy Cross and created his Spirit Weapon. The man reared back in shock when he saw it and mumbled, "So that's what you are... Then I see I must give it my all, lest I be destroyed. Very well, then. For future reference, I'm Gantenbainne Mosqueda. Former Privaron Espada, and the current leader of the Forest of Menos."

Ichigo blinked and replied, "I don't know what an Espada is, and I really don't care. Mission orders were to capture all available Arrancar, and you definitely fit the bill."

He dove forward at the same time as the Arrancar and the two clashed in the air.

* * *

"...Gina, why are you still here? It's only been a day."

The redhead jumped slightly as the voice spooked her, and she turned to see Haschwalth standing at the entrance way to the Gate of the Sun. She turned and bowed her head, apologizing, "Sorry, Master Haschwalth...but I have nothing else to do, as long as the Young Master is not present... I just want to be here when he gets back."

"...Or you're worried about him. You believe he isn't going to come back?"

Gina let up slightly from her bow and, with completely confident eyes, gazed at him and reassured, "I'm no longer afraid for the Young Master... I believe in him and his ability to never back down...just as you should, Master Haschwalth."

The man blinked lazily at the attendant before closing his eyes and turning on his feet. Before he could leaved the room, she called out, "So, Master Haschwalth, are you worried about him?"

He stopped right at the entrance and stood there, seemingly stumped for an answer. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Naturally... I'm worried...about where his standing lies with His Majesty...and whether...he'll be killed or not..."

She watched the man with narrowed eyes as he eased his way out of the room and into the shadows of the hallway. In response, she simply turned back to the gate with her hands folded together and waited.

* * *

Ichigo rebounded away from the clash. As he flew away, he sensed the Arrancar appear behind him, he swung his blade, sending an echoing clash that rattled the 'trees' and rocks nearby. He gritted his teeth as he watched the scene collapse around him.

_'This isn't good... They allowed us to move deep in the forest to cause such a collapse... All our battles will do is weaken it, and possibly cause a cave-in.'_

After he landed on the ground, he quickly dashed forward with Hirenkyaku. Gantenbainne swiftly ducked as he swung over his head and continued to dodge as Ichigo continued to attack.

Suddenly, Ichigo disappeared from his vision, and Gantenbainne looked up as he came down on him overhead head and made contact with his punch daggers. The Arrancar frowned and raised his other hand as the real Quincy attempted to strike his back.

"Fast enough for afterimages, eh? I've dealt with plenty of your kind of fighters... We Hollows are the masters of such trickery..."

The afterimage disappeared from its spot and he used his hand to throw Ichigo away from him. As Ichigo slid through the air on the platform of Reishi beneath his feet, he noticed that the Arrancar was not in his original position.

"...As such, all I need to do...is become faster."

Ichigo's left eye twitched as the man's heel crashed into his head, sending him into the ground. When the Arrancar rushed in for another overhead kick, he quickly recovered and raised his blade to block his attack, sending Gantenbainne across the cavern floors.

The afro-haired man glared at Ichigo before rushing towards him and launching a dropkick, which brought the two into another clash. Raising his fist, the Arrancar swung it towards Ichigo, who tilted his head over and let the man sweep past him. Switching the blade to his left hand, the Quincy brought his hand back to Gantenbainne as he brought his right fist back to create another collision.

_"If you find it difficult to make your attacks connect, then you hit 'em harder and faster!"_

As the enemy made a move to kick him, Ichigo disappeared and appeared a small distance away. He raised his blade up to his face, and his sleeve fell slightly, revealing the burnt-orange line-patterns beneath his skin. The Reishi in the air gathered at a faster rate, and he felt as _it_ began to kick in.

Gantenbainne watched in shock as the boy's sclera began flashing to black, and his eyes glowed the familiar color of Reishi. Ichigo looked down at his weapon, which began flaring up with too much energy. A wide smirk crossed his face.

_'Even if it's been purged from my body... My Cross... It's still excited! It's glad...to have finally come home again!'_

"Getsuga..."

The Arrancar pulled back slightly at the familiar technique. It looked...very much like his own...

_'...Is...Is this some...type of Cero!?'_

"_Tensho_!"

With a powerful wave of his hand, the Reishi was unleashed with incredible speed, like a beam of light through the piercing darkness of the cavern. Gantenbainne could only raised his hand as he was caught up in the beam, which had blasted into the rocky wall behind him and opened a path once more.

* * *

Giselle, who had easily put the other two Arrancar down, watched as the beam of light flew overhead, causing the trees to collapse over into the hole that she had hid the two Arrancars and herself in.

_'Kurosaki's going all out...__**He'll**__ defiinitely be here soon...'_

Just as she prepared to use her techniques to destroy the mineral trees, they were already destroyed by a shadowy silhouette that quickly landed next to her as the rocks fell to the ground all around them.

Out of the corner of her eye, she realized that her thoughts were correct as the man stood to his full height and said, "And where the hell is Kurosaki?"

"At the top of the cliff... You might wanna make sure we get out of this cave first before you make a move, idiot."

* * *

"...That's was a nice trick, _Quincy_. That one was almost _this _close to ending me, ya know? If I didn't have my _Resurreccion _as backup, I would've been killed."

Ichigo's changed eyes narrowed at the shadowy silhouette slowly moving out of the smoke towards it. The collar area was larger than usual. As it cleared away, he was finally able to get a look at the Arrancar once more.

The collar additions were revealed to be dome-like armor plating that covered his long arms and flowed behind him like a tail, and his punch daggers had become large dragon heads. The Arrancar's hand moved to the sunglasses and placed them down over his eyes.

"I'm going at you with everything I got, amigo. It's best you hold nothing back, either!"

Gantenbainne held both of his fists out and began to charge them separately with orange energy before pressing them to together. When the energy was all focused in his right arm, he reared back and whispered, "_Rugir der Dragon_..."

With his fist thrust forward, a large, orange dragon head was emitted from his fist and soared towards Ichigo. He simply pointed his blade at the attack and gathered the necessary Reishi at the tip before sending it towards the attack and dissipating it in the air. He then followed up with another wave of Reishi that slammed into Gantebainne and sent him far back into the area.

As he skidded along the ground, the Arrancar charged the attack up again, but instead, punched the ground and sent a fissure of cracking earth towards Ichigo, which exploded into a large pillar of orange light beneath his feet. Gantenbainne watched the explosion with a blank expression before looking down and sighing.

"That's for whom the bell tolls, amigo. It's done."

He was surprised, however, when Ichigo appeared from within the light, his clothing nigh untouched spare a few tears. His entire skin was pale-blue from the pattern of lines, which were beginning to fade away and being replaced by the orange lines.

Ichigo brought his blade down with great force against Gantenbainne's fist. His blade and right arm began to glow with the large gathering of Reishi.

_'He's pulling in so much Reishi, and expelling it just as fast! Absolutely no control, but it's still packing such a punch!'_

"Grraaggghhhh!"

Suddenly, Ichigo's entire body was charged with Reishi which all came down onto a single point on his sword, giving him the appearance of a large arrow of energy, or something more like a bullet. Gantenbainne gasped as the pressure of the Reishi nearly pushed him down.

"_Heilig Kugel_!"

Firing forward like its namesake, the attack crashed into the Arrancar and sent him sliding across the ground with immense force. It felt as if his back was breaking apart as he was sent crashing through trees and caves alike before the blast took him upwards, soaring past the tall mineral trees.

It wasn't until they reached the surface of Hueco Mundo that the explosion actually took place. The afro-haired Arrancar fell back with a large burst of blood being emitted from his chest. As he hit the ground lifelessly, Ichigo stood over him with his Quincy Cross back to normal. He stared down at the Arrancar before announcing, "It's done... I'm taking you back to headquarters... I'll...I'll try to put in a good word for you..."

The Arrancar stared down at Ichigo's hand in confusion as he held it out to him. He skeptically stared at it and Ichigo before hesitantly reaching out and grabbing his hand, allowing him to pull his back away from the ground in a sitting position.

"...You...are not the same as other Quincy... Any other would have probably kill-"

Ichigo's face was molded into shock as the man was violently interrupted by a blast of light. He still hadn't let go of his hand, which was the only part of him that remained after the splatter of blood.

* * *

_"Oi, Bambietta..."_

_ The small woman, who was playing with her hair, crossed her legs and smirked. She leaned forward with narrowed eyes and said, "When have we gotten so close together that you may address me so casually?"_

_ "...What are you talking about? It's Bambietta, right? If that's your name, then what are you bitching about?"_

_ Her eyes widened before falling into a blank, dark gaze, causing Ichigo to sweat bullets. He could only hope that she wouldn't attack him. After a while, she leaned back on her elbows and mumbled, "You have...absolutely no respect for your superiors, do you...?"_

_ Ichigo, who was standing awkwardly in the center of the room, blinked and replied, "I mean, to me, you're all just people. I could careless about strength and rank...and I hate the people to who use that as an excuse to live...especially when I live..."_

_ He looked down at his shoes and whispered, "When I live for more important things..."_

_ She raised her eyebrow as he became uncharacteristically quiet. She closed her eyes and said, "So you want this power...to prove that rank means nothing to you? Is this for the Arrancars, or Bazz-B?"_

_ His eyes widened in shock, and before he could stutter an excuse, Bambietta explained, "You're a lot darker than you seem, Ichigo Kurosaki... Were you planning on killing Bazz-B in Hueco Mundo to prove that?"_

* * *

Ichigo watched in painful shock at the arm he slowly dropped into the sands of Hueco Mundo's vast desert.

"That took forever! You should have stopped playing with him and just finished it!"

A feminine voice sighed and answered, "No, you muscle-head. The job was to capture all Arrancar available."

Bazz-B, who had long threw away his hooded shoulder cape, turned to Giselle and said, "Well... I think you got enough for all of us...! And hopefully the others did, too, so it's all good!"

She rolled her eyes and walked towards Ichigo, who hadn't moved from his spot. With a tilt of her head, she frowned and grabbed his heaving shoulder and asked, "Hey, Strawberry... What's wrong?"

It wasn't until she looked down in front of him and noticed that black droplets had stained the white sands of Hueco Mundo that she realized those were tears. It seemed Bazz-B had noticed as well, as he called out, "What the fuck are you crying for, Kurosaki!?"

He made no motion of answering. Before Giselle could question him again, a flash of blue light struck him in his back and sent him to the ground. She turned around and protested, "Bazz-B! Stop this! I don't think he's in the right state of mind for this!"

"Fuck his feelings! I said if he got hurt or anything, he should man the fuck up! His Majesty's not around, so you're going to prove to me why the hell you deserve to be here!"

As Bazz-B continued to stomp his way towards Ichigo, Giselle moved in front of him, which caused him to cock his head to the side in agitation and confusion.

"You said you'd help me set this up! That's why you asked for His Majesty to replace Haschwalth with me, isn't it!? What the hell's the matter with you!?"

She looked over her shoulder at Ichigo, who hadn't moved from his spot on the ground. She turned back to him and asked, "Are you going to fight an unwilling participant!? He's not even moving! You're going to fight someone who's too traumatize to do anything!?"

He snarled and gently shoved her shoulder to move her out of his way. He growled, "If he's too weak to stand up for himself, then I'm doing His Majesty a favor!"

* * *

_Ichigo looked away after Bambietta's accusation. She looked at him and mumbled, "The image of killing doesn't fit you. I believe you're capable of it, mind you, but I think it'll be awkward to see you kill."_

_ He frowned and sighed, but never made a responding denial. She realized how uncomfortable it was for him before saying, "You were going to speak about something else...?"_

_ "...How much do you know about me? Special conditions and all?"_

_ She raised her eyebrow and repeated, "Special conditions? What special conditions?"_

_ "...So I'm going to have to explain it to you...and a plan that I had...to utilize my powers..."_

After that explanation, she told him to only use it when it was really necessary... As Bambietta placed on her cloak while reflecting about the previous days, she sighed and began the long trudge to the Gate of the Sun...

"...Things are starting to finally get interesting around here..."

* * *

Bazz-B stopped as Ichigo finally dragged himself to his feet. He narrowed his eyes and taunted, "You've finally had it with your little hissy fits? You should feel embarrassed, crying over an Arrancar..."

With his eyes darkened by the falling of his hair, Ichigo explained, "...That wasn't me... _He_...he was angered by the death of his own kind...by his mortal enemy... Even his feelings are being emanated from this Cross..."

The Stern Ritter scoffed, "Who the hell are you talking about? You're insane, Kurosaki!"

Ichigo raised his hand high above his head, allowing Reishi to gather in the spot. Bazz-B smirked and said, "You're finally fighting back, huh!? That's exactly what I've been waiting for!"

"...Then I'm going to give it to you...beca**use I'm sick of your bullshit! This is it!"**

By the end of his declaration, his voice was augmented by the echo of another sound, much more haunting than anything Bazz-B's ever heard before. As he leaned away from the Reiatsu being emitted from Ichigo's body, Giselle held her hands up to block it.

_'What is this!? Did Bambietta teach him this!? I don't understand!'_

Suddenly, the winds and pressure stopped as Ichigo's fingertips began glowing, and he slowly pulled them down across his face, causing the two Stern Ritter to pause completely.

**"Grrrraaaagggggghhhhh!"**

A pale-blue mask rested on his face, its mouth stretched into a large, revolting grin. Through the eye-holes of the mask, his similar colored eyes could be seen. Giselle's and Bazz-B's eyes widened considerably as they stared at it.

_'Is this some kind of Hollowfied powers!? It can't be...that mask is made of Reishi!'_

The teeth of the mask grind together as they slowly cracked open and released a large roar, emitting shock waves from its epicenter.

**"It seems...the Wandenreich's going to be down a Stern Ritter..."**

* * *

Trivia:

-Heilig Kugel is German for "Holy Bullet".


	17. No Church in the Wild 2: Desert Dune End

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

Afraid...

Yes, Giselle could fully admit that she was completely afraid... Who was this... What was this..._thing_ in front of her and Bazz-B now? What the hell did Bambietta create in that play pen of hers?

Ichigo looked down at his left hand as it flashed the blue veins of Blut Vene. He flexed it and, just as quickly as the Blut Vene appeared, the red-orange tint that was Blut Arterie appeared.

_"It's quite an interesting development you've come up with, Ichigo... Where did you managed to pick this up?"_

_ He reached into his cloak and pulled out the white gas mask that ordinary Soldat wore in certain invasions. He held it up for Bambietta to see._

_ "...Gina told me that...the Soldat use this to filter in Reishi, and that the weaker ones use it in the Human World to draw Reishi closer to them to make it easier for them to use their techniques..."_

Bazz-B appeared shocked at the apparent Hollowfication of the Quincy. He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward in anticipation.

_'I have no idea what he's capable of in this form... I have to be on the-'_

**"Bitch, move!"**

Giselle watched as the body of Bazz-B soared past her in less than a second. She nearly fell on her back as the mask was only a few inches away from the side of her face. Ichigo looked over to her as she slowly crept back.

**"...You don't have to be afraid of me... We're on the same side, ya know...?"**

She watched as he leaned forward and disappeared in a flicker.

* * *

Bazz-B tumbled through the desert of Hueco Mundo before finally coming to a stop at the bottom of a sand dune. He spit out the white sand and groaned, "Ah shit... That hurt..."

He shook his head and dusted off the sand from his mohawk before standing up at the exact moment Ichigo appeared at the top of the dune. He snarled at him, "Cheap shot, Kurosaki. But it's okay... I have to give you your credit for that one..."

The masked man appeared to ignore him, causing Bazz-B to frown and disappear from his spot, appearing behind Ichigo. The boy turned and raised his palm, catching the Stern Ritter's fist in it. The man's eyes widened as he stared into the Reishi-colored eyes behind the mask.

**"That weak shit offends me..."**

He reared back his fist, glowing with the orange tint of Blut Arterie.

_Bambietta watched as the masked man continued to train in the center of the room._

_ '...A weaker Hollow breathes in the Reishi of Hueco Mundo if there aren't enough Souls for them to feast on... The Fullbring's remnants on that Quincy Cross operates on a similar scale, constantly absorbing Reishi... It's hard for him to control it if the Cross is constantly overflowing...'_

_ She picked up her lollipop and twirled it around in her mouth as she continued to study Ichigo's new revelation._

_ '...That mask absorbs the excess Reishi that Ichigo can't control and stores it in his mask. Like a Soul Reaper, who can fight as long as they have Reiryoku, Ichigo can maximize his Quincy abilities by using what is stored in that mask. He can switch between Blut Vene and Blut Arterie with ease, much faster than any other Quincy, and use Hirenkyaku without worrying about the trail of Reishi giving away his position...'_

_ She watched as he began absorbing the Reishi from around him, noting how easily it came to him._

_ 'Complete Reishi dominance...a technique comparable to Quincy, Letzt Stil...'_

_ Suddenly, the masked cracked, and Ichigo fell to floor while panting hard._

_ 'However...it has a major drawback. It's almost like a Spirit Weapon... It's created using Reishi, but held together with his Reiryoku... For every Reishi particle gathered, the same amount of Reiryoku must be used as well...'_

_ "__That's a dangerous move, Kurosaki! It seems to work out for you, but don't use __**it**__ unless its really necessary!"_

_ Ichigo turned to look at Bambietta as she leaped from her usual spot on the table and walked over to him._

_ "That mask...it maximizes your Quincy abilities, but there's a drawback that I see... When you gather the Reishi necessary to form it, you seal it with your Reiryoku... When Reishi is gathered for you, it uses more of your Reiryoku to maintain it..."_

_ He narrowed his eyes in confusion, and she elaborated, "That mask unconsciously breathes in Reishi for you and stores it, as you intended, but it needs more Reiryoku to maintain itself... For every Reishi particle you breath in, it drains you of your Reiryoku... And you absorb Reishi at a rate above any other Quincy."_

_ She sighed and finished, "Essentially, because your rate of absorption is so fast, you drain your Reiryoku just as fast... You could probably maintain that form for five minutes before it fails on you..."_

Bazz-B could feel his jaw breaking under the powerful strain of Ichigo's fist... Not even Blut Vene could save him as he soared through the air again. He flipped himself in the middle of the air to see Ichigo's next move, which left him just as surprised as it did Giselle.

Ichigo clapped his hands together and began slowly peeling them away, revealing an elongated arrow between them.

_'No way! A Heilig Pfiel without a Spirit Weapon!? Only Jugo, Royd...and His Majesty are capable of that! Not even Driscoll can do that!'_

The arrowed soared at full speed towards Bazz-B the moment Ichigo's right fingers flexed. His left shoulder was pierced by it as he slid away on the ground. He wasn't able to recover, as the masked face was again in his vicinity.

Ichigo's hand gripped the Reishi arrow and he growled, **"You owe Gantenbainne an arm."**

Pulling upwards, he ripped the arrow of its socket, emitting a large scream from Bazz-B as he fell back. He flicked his blade towards Giselle, sending the arm in her direction. She eep'ed and ducked as it went over her head.

**"That's the only part of you that survives...! I'm burying the rest of you in this sand!"**

Bazz-B gritted his teeth as he tried to use Blut Vene to numb the pain. He realized that, at this current moment, this boy outclassed him in every way... There was no way he was going to win unless he used _it_...

He raised his gloved white hand to his mouth, preparing to pull it off with his teeth. Before he could, however, Giselle grabbed his hand and stood between Ichigo and Bazz-B.

**"...Move."**

The female Stern Ritter held her hand out to Ichigo as she pleaded, "You have to stop this...! His Majesty wouldn't like it if you-!"

**"Move."**

When she refused to move, Ichigo simply appeared between her and Bazz-B and kicked him in the air. He then tightened his grip on the handle of his blade, gathering Reishi at the end of it. With his left hand, he was able to push Giselle away before she was able to stop him. He pointed his fist in the direction of the falling Bazz-B.

**"**_**Heilig Kugel!**_**"**

Giselle watched in horror as the Cero-like blast of Reishi beamed towards the Stern Ritter, striking him in the middle of his descent. The monster next to her crouched down and disappeared towards the landing point, and her body twitched in fear at what Bambietta had created...

_'Bambietta...I know why you created this monster...but I hope it doesn't backfire on you...'_

* * *

Bazz-B gritted his teeth as his torn and battered body rested on the white sand of Hueco Mundo. If only Giselle hadn't grabbed him, he could have released _it _and ended this fight... Now, he didn't even know if his body would be able to take the strain...

It was too late, now... Far too late, as Ichigo appeared in front of him, looking down on him with that accursed mask. Now he definitely knew why His Majesty and Jugo handpicked this Quincy personally... Whatever powers he possessed was unlike anything he's ever seen...

**"...Are you dead yet?"**

The Stern Ritter's only response was to growl as he attempted to pull himself up. Ichigo, however, decided to help him up by himself by grabbing the collar of his coat and lifting him up.

**"Are you scared now, Stern Ritter? Are you afraid...?"**

Bazz-B snarled and attempted to land a hit, though Ichigo backhanded it and punched him in the jaw. He pulled the man closer to his face and whispered, **"Men in the world like you don't deserve to fight... To fight for nothing isn't worth anything... And to destroy what I've honored to protect... It doesn't matter... No one will miss you."**

Ichigo reared his fist back with his Blut Arterie activated. Bazz-B's body glowed the tint of Blut Vene. The fist began glowing blue, the trademarked sign of his explosive technique.

**"**_**Heilig Kugel**_**..."**

However, the attack dissipated into nothing as the mask began to crack, and it suddenly broke apart before Ichigo could finish the attack. He mentally panicked, _'Shit! My five minutes are up!'_

He heard a chuckling sound emanating from the man in front of him, causing his eyes to narrow as he stared at him.

"..Hehehe... The timer on that power has ran out, has it? Sad, Kurosaki... I sense no Reiryoku from you at all, and I still have mine..."

Ichigo growled and punched him in the face again, knocking him to the ground. He didn't give damn if he didn't have any Reiryoku left... He was still going to kick his ass while both of them were weak!

He stumbled towards the broken body of the Stern Ritter, but was finally grabbed by the female of the trio. He was too weak, much too weak to fight her grasp.

"Please stop, Ichigo Kurosaki... You don't need to cross that threshold for something like this..."

His struggling came to a calm stop and he simply collapsed onto his knees as Giselle let him go. She stared at him as he brought himself up to his feet, but continued to stumble over to Bazz-B. The man looked up at him as Ichigo glared down at him.

"What on earth happened here?"

Giselle looked over her shoulder as Quilge and Shaz walked up to them. Neither one of them seemed to have any Arrancar with them. She turned back to Ichigo and Bazz-B and simply said, "Two men simply relieving stress..."

Shaz raised and eyebrow and mumbled, "And people think_ I'm _gay."

"Oi! Was that large pressure from that kid? I could feel that shit a mile away!"

In the distance, the large Stern Ritter stomped his way towards them. It seemed Giselle was the only one to remember the mission of gathering Arrancar. Driscoll looked over at Ichigo after he grabbed Bazz-B and said, "Maybe I should have followed Bazz-B for this one..."

Giselle frowned and said, "It was better you didn't..."

* * *

"I expected you to be here, woman. I didn't think you'd simply let him be."

Gina noted the appearance of Bambietta out of the corner of her eye. She made no move to answer as she continued to stare at the gate. When the woman moved to stand next to her, she finally looked over at her and asked, "Why are you here, Lady Bambietta?"

The woman scoffed and crossed her arms. She explained, "It's not for what you're thinking... I just want to see if he actually went through with it..."

_'Went through with what...?'_

_ "Oi! Lemme go!"_

Gina and Bambietta snapped their heads towards the gate as the sound of voices penetrated the Reishi. The sound of footsteps emerged from the shadows of the hallway, and Yhwach and Haschwalth stepped out with a look of annoyance.

"It seems they're as loud as ever."

_"Lemme go, damnit!"_

Gina and Bambietta separated from each other as an object flew out of the portal and slid between them. The armless, battered body of Bazz-B laid groaning in pain. Ignoring the stares of everyone around him, he turned and cursed at the gate, "Gaggh! Fuck you, Kurosaki!"

Right on cue, the Stern Ritter (Though one was missing) all emerged from the Gate of the Sun, followed by Ichigo. Gina's eyes brightened upon seeing, though noted he was unhappy.

"Y-Young Master!? What is-!?"

Ichigo snapped his fingers towards the injured Stern Ritter and said, "He tripped and fell, and he needs a medic," before storming past Yhwach and Haschwalth. His redhead attendant took off right behind him as he exited the room without giving any report, calling out for him to wait.

The Monarch raised an eyebrow at the fading Kurosaki before turning back to the other Stern Ritter. He pointedly stared at him before Quilge stepped forward and announced, "The operation was mostly successful... We have a point of interest for our base, but we only managed to snag five Arrancar and bring them back with us."

At that moment, Driscoll stepped out of the gate with the two coffin-like prisons of Reishi film, courtesy of Giselle.

"And we discovered that the main base of Hueco Mundo is Las Noches... There's a tower not too far from it that we can reach through the Forest of Menos underground without being seen."

Yhwach nodded and ordered, "Full reports by tomorrow... And that includes you as well, _Bambiettta_... You are all dismissed," before turning following the same direction as Ichigo. As Shaz, Driscoll, and Quilge filed out, Giselle stayed behind with Bambietta and Haschwalth.

The blue-haired Stern Ritter murmured, "...I guess...he couldn't bring himself to do it... Or maybe he thought it would be more embarrassing to leave him alive..."

Giselle's head turned to Bambietta during her mumbling and said, "So you were the one to help him with that...that Hollowfication_..._"

Bambietta began whistling as she turned away from Giselle and walked out with her arms folded behind her back. At that moment, Haschwalth crouched down to stare Bazz-B in the eye, who groaned, "Don't say it, Jugo... Shut up, you bastard... Don't you dare..."

"...I told you to leave him alone..."

* * *

"Young Master, you need to be still! I'm trying to help you!"

Ichigo waved her away again and said, "I'm fine, _mother_! I'm not injured! I just wanna go to sleep!"

"Your body's full of wounds, Young Master! Stop fighting back!"

Back in Ichigo's assigned room, A halfway-bandaged Ichigo fought to kick Gina away as she twirled the roll of bandages on her finger, searching for a way to break past his defenses. Haschwalth stood in the corner unnoticed as he watched the events with a raised eyebrow.

"Stop fighting and just let it happen! It'll be all over soon!"

Ichigo's foot raised and pressed against her face as she reached out to grab him. He yelled, "There's no way I'm letting you touch me after _that_ comment!"

Her muffled voice shrieked from behind his foot, "If you won't let me help you...!"

Her fist snapped like a cobra and struck him his shoulder. He sucked in his breath as the pain kicked in, and then screamed as he fell back. He crawled away from Gina as she began unraveling the bandages while she slowly walked around his bed to him. He stared at her incredulously and cried out, "Y-You hit me!"

She said nothing as she stood next to him and grabbed his sore arm. He tried to fight her with his other hand, but it wasn't enough.

"I can't believe you hit me!"

He suddenly lost all feeling in his arm as she held it closer to her face.

"I can't feel my arm! I thought you was supposed to protect me!"

She began wrapping the bandages around his injured arm and body and, with a blank face fit for only a maid, looked at him and explained, "...I wanted to help you...so I hurt you to help you."

"...How the hell can you say something like that with a straight face!? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard- Waaaggghhhhh!"

He cried out as she tied the wrappings tightly across his arm, leaving him to sniffle in the pillows.

"...I guess you two have gotten close in these past few weeks."

As they were caught in an embarrassing act, the two snapped their heads towards Haschwalth, finally noticing him standing in the corner of the room.

"Ma-Master Haschwalth!? H-How long have you been standing there!?"

He blinked and replied, "Long enough. I came to see if you were alright... Unless you've forgotten, you're part of the force returning to Hueco Mundo at the end of the next week."

Ichigo frowned and said, "I'll be ready by then... No thanks to Gina here..."

Even though her face had switched to business mode, Ichigo could see the darkened glint appear within her eyes.

_'...Have my habits really rubbed off on her that much...?'_

Haschwalth nodded and opened his cloak. He reached inside of them and pulled out what seemed to be silver tubes, though not like the Seele Schneider tubes. He dropped them on his table side and said, "These will probably help..."

He then decided to take his leave. As he closed the door behind him and walked down the hall, he could hear the loud shout of, "Young Master! Is your back injured!? Lady Giselle said you were attacked from behind!"

"What!? No, I'm alright! I don't nee- Gaggggghhh!"

* * *

_'It's been two weeks since Ichigo left...'_

Ryo Kunieda sighed to herself and fell back in her seat. She sat in a luxurious, spacious office consisting lavish furnishings, a fully-functioning bar, and various other items of expensive furniture. She was slightly uncomfortable, as the buzzcut-haired teenager at the bar continued to stare at her and blush before continuing his work, and then repeating the action a few minutes later.

"Oi, stop creeping the girl out, Moe!"

The bartender growled as Riruka Dokugamine stepped into the office, followed by Yukio Hans Vorarlberna and Jackie Tristan. The young blonde sauntered around to his desk and sat down. As he looked towards Ryo, he noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's the other one? Momohara?"

Ryo looked away and answered, "He... He's not coming... He's gone somewhere with Mr. Urahara and Mrs. Kurosaki..."

The boy nodded as he tapped his fingers aimlessly on the desk. The office was filled with uncomfortable silence as they all waited for Ryo to speak.

"...You said you had something you wanted to speak to us about... So why are you here in my office, Ryo Kunieda...?"

She looked towards him and confirmed his statement by answering, "Yeah... I wanted to speak to you all... It's about... Ichigo's time as a Fullbringer..."

Yukio's eyebrows went up after she spoke, and he questioned, "Why would that have any importance in getting him back...?"

"...I don't know... But it's been bothering me, lately... You said that Ginjo and Tsukishima decided to select Ichigo for their plan... But why? Other than the powers that he has now, he was nothing more than a boy who could see ghosts... So who was it that told Xcution where to find Ichigo, and what he was capable of?"

The entire room was struck silent after that declaration. Jackie was the only one to murmur, "She really is smart...and quite nosy..."

Yukio shifted in his chair and turned to face the window to the outside of his company. By the tone of her voice, he knew that she already knew...

"I understand that Mrs. Masaki only discovered Ginjo after Ichigo made contact with him...and I heard Ginjo was a criminal in the Soul Society's laws... That only leaves the Wandenreich and an outside party... So which one has Xcution been in contact with...?"

* * *

Trivia:

-As stated, Ichigo's mask is similar to Quincy: Letzt Stil. It operates on a similar scale to Uryu's Reiryoku wing, which dominates and stores Reishi for him to use (Similar to a Soul Reaper's/Arrancar's Reiryoku). This allows him to mask his Hirenkyaku movements without leaving behind Reishi, form Heilig Pfiel from his hands, and switch between Blut Vene and Blut Arterie quicker than most Quincy. It's biggest problem is that he uses his own energy to maintain it, so the more Reishi it gathers, the more it drains his own powers. He can use it for five minutes before he becomes weakened.

-For confirmation, I'm not very good with pairings or romance, so there may not be any unless its important to the story.


	18. Love Me Bitterly, Loth Me Sweetly

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"You must have been quite suspicious for a long time..."

With her eyes locked with Yukio's, Ryo replied, "I have...Since Ichigo told me about the first attack... The Wandenreich, like your group, found him even when his Spiritual Pressure was sealed away... So how did you both do it?"

Yukio methodically closed his eyes and sighed as he fell back in his seat. He turned his head towards Jackie and motioned towards something. She nodded and took off to leave the room, and he turned back to Ryo.

"...You are both correct...and incorrect... We learned his position from both within the Wandenreich...and outside of it."

Her face was etched into a confused frown as she tried to discern his meaning, but it still wasn't clear to her. Yukio sighed and continued, "The Wandenreich hired us to weaken him...so they could awaken his Quincy Powers... After the debacle with Urahara's group was done, we realized the Wandenreich...wasn't quite who we thought they would be, so I sent Riruka to prevent Ichigo from following Yhwach."

Ryo frowned and closed her eyes because a part of her already knew that was the answer. However, what shocked her was what Yukio said next.

"The thing is...I have no idea how _they _even found him... I can only suspect, but even then...I'm not too sure... I shouldn't be the one telling you this... I would leave this to Ichigo, but I doubt he even knows...and I don't think Yhwach would tell him either."

She leaned closer to the edge of her seat and said, "This is what I came here for... I have to know, because I need to get him back... You _have _to tell me!"

When he saw the eager and determined expression on her face, Yukio relented and stated, "...Alright, then... I'll tell you...about his father...and the reason I believe the Wandenreich were able to find him."

* * *

"...You know... You're just as annoying as Riruka."

Gina's eyebrow twitched in slight anger as she murmured, "I resent that. Don't compare me to my sister."

Days later, a sore Ichigo sat on his couch after hours of training with Bambietta... It seems the woman, and Haschwalth included, didn't consider his training to bedone... Didn't they realize that all he wanted to do was kick Bazz-B's ass?

_'I could just train for myself...'_

But he really couldn't complain... As opposed to when he initially began his Quincy training in Kagamino, he definitely didn't feel useless and weak (Except when Bambietta was kicking his ass). He shook the ice around in his glass of water and looked over his shoulder at Gina, who was cleaning the dust off of his unused counter top. He blinked and noted, "You know... I really haven't heard you speak about your sister...or yourself, for that matter..."

He almost regretted speaking when her head slowly turned in his direction and she growled, "...Because we don't see eye-to-eye. She has Hollow powers, and I have the Quincy's. In short, we're enemies, and we've always been enemies... _End of_ _story_, Young Master."

The heated gaze he received from her caused Ichigo's eyes to widened slightly. He slowly turned back around and mumbled, "Nevermind... Forget I asked."

Gina returned to her furious wiping of the dusty counter, letting out an agitated sigh while she did so. The rumbling of the chairs behind her alerted her to the movement of her ward, and she called out, "Are you retiring for this evening, Young Master?"

After a few seconds of silence, she finally stopped and turned around, noting the wavering curtains near the open window and the condensation left behind by the melting ice of the glass.

"Young Master?

She panicked and ran towards the window, fearful that he was kidnapped by one of the Stern Ritter again. With a hand on the window's ledge, she stared out around the darkening empire, searching for any sign of his whereabouts. She calmed down considerably when she noticed the flash of orange leaping across the buildings, realizing that he simply left on his own.

Gina slowly backed away from the window in awkward silence, having no clue on what she should do. Why did Ichigo leave in the first place?

_'Was it something I said?'_

With a wistful shrug and a simple sigh, she decided to clean the room for Ichigo's return. After grabbing the nearby broom, she moved to sweep across the floor, though she almost tripped over something. Looking down, she noticed a small plastic box on the ground. She picked it up and, upon realizing that it was a cellular phone, prepared to throw it away. It was obvious that he wouldn't have a connection in the Empire anyway...

She didn't want to alienate her ward and make him angry, so she decided not to toss it. With an absentminded flick of her thumb, it opened and the bright light of the background picture flashed across her eyes.

The picture was of three particular females. She recognized one of them as Masaki Kurosaki, and the other two were younger girls with black hair and light-brown hair respectively. She realized that they were probably his little sisters.

_"Let go, Riruka!"_

_ Two little girls with red hair were arguing in a park, fighting over a doll. The one with her hair styled in a twin pigtailed fashion complained, "No! It's mine! You let go, Gina!"_

_ "No way! Come on, don't be stupid!"_

_ The doll was pried uncaringly from the fingers of the __ redhead with the shorter hair__, and she yelped in pain when she was hit at the same time. She turned and screamed, "Moooooooommm! Riruka took my doll!"_

_ The older girl watched with a furious pout as her younger sister ran off while screaming, "Mooommm!"_

Gina narrowed her eyes sorrowfully as she was reminded of her own sister.

_"...I thought I recognized you, Gina... So you've become one of the Wandenreich's lapdogs, have you? Just as Mom always wanted for you."_

She sighed and placed the cell phone on the nearby table before continuing her work.

* * *

"Ichigo Kurosaki... I thought I might find you here."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo deadpanned, "Or maybe you were stalking me like you usually do, _Jugo_... I've learned that there is no such thing as coincidences in the Wandenreich."

"I don't remember allowing you to call me that."

For the past few hours, Ichigo had been standing atop the highest tower of the Wandenreich, overlooking everything in the frozen empire's domain. His lonely silence had been interrupted by the appearance of Haschwalth.

The Stern Ritter stared at the younger Quincy unblinkingly and stated, "His Majesty knows about the little incident with Bazz-B. He also knows about...the technique you used."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and looked at Haschwalth from over his shoulders.

"Of course he does... I wouldn't doubt it if he actually set that up intentionally..."

The Stern Ritter shifted his weight on his other heel and simply replied, "Actually, that was my doing. I convinced Bazz-B to take my place."

Even though the boy didn't react, Haschwalth knew by the uncomfortable shift in weight that Ichigo was actually surprised to hear that. Before he could turn and ask, the man elaborated, "Actually, Bambietta and I set it up. I've watched your training sessions for the past week, and I decided that Bazz-B would be the perfect crash dummy for your abilities. His Majesty agreed with me when I made the suggestion."

The younger Quincy blinked a few times before mumbling, "...I see now..."

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders in an uncaring manner before glancing down towards the window of his room. He noticed that the lights were finally darkening, meaning that Gina was probably resting... But knowing her, she wouldn't sleep until he returned.

He made a move to return while sighing, "...I guess I should return now..."

The Stern Ritter watched as Ichigo slid past him and accused, "...Were you hiding from Gina?"

Haschwalth gazed at Ichigo out of the corner of his eye as he stopped in his tracks. When the boy turned his head towards the ground in slight embarrassment, he turned his gaze to the darkened window and murmured, "...If you haven't noticed, she's not very good with people... She's used to being second to her sister."

The orange-haired boy turned back to the Stern Ritter and incredulously mumbled, "Wait, what? But... But Riruka's...?"

"...always made herself out as the victim? To be honest, they both are... You might have noticed that Gina doesn't...do well with friendly notions..."

_He looked down at Gina who groaned as she picked herself up from the ground. He held his hand out, much to the girl's surprise as she stared at it dumbly. Ichigo blinked at her and deadpanned, "...You're supposed to grab my hand so I can pull you up."_

_ Hesitantly, Gina reached out and grabbed his arm and hoisted herself off the ground._

"She doesn't understand the concept of..._friends_...very well, considering many Quincy aren't too fond of her..."

When Ichigo raised an eyebrow in questioning, the man explained, "Her father was a scientist that attempted to experiment with Hollows... He believed that it was possible for a Quincy to use the powers of a Hollow to actually absorb an enemy instead of destroying them completely... He failed, and was placed in a similar condition to you and your mother."

_"You have a weird condition, Ichigo Kurosaki... Quincies aren't meant to use the powers of a Hollow... Your mother face such trauma, and it nearly killed her. Gina's father here face such trauma, and he is now dead... That's because the Human body isn't willing to accept foreign substances."_

He looked down at the room at the sleeping girl and continued, "Your mother's condition was spared due to your father's Soul keeping her under control... You weren't affected because you _are_ part-Soul... Giruhiko, however, barely managed to keep himself alive after being inflicted with a Hollow's virus... After Riruka and Gina were born, he was finally consumed by the Hollow's Virus."

_"Our parents were both Quincies. My father was attacked by a Hollow and given a virus, later being killed from Soul Suicide. Riruka received those powers from him. I received the proper powers of the Quincy."_

"...His blasphemous experiments cursed both of his daughters... His eldest, Riruka, became a Fullbringer. In the hopes that her daughter wouldn't become like her father, their mother solely focused on her... Once she became a Fullbringer, she escaped the hatred and abandoned her Quincy upbringing... And Gina... Gina was raised as a Gemischt Quincy, though many figured she wasn't inflicted when she survived the Selektion... And her father's legacy still haunts her... You've seen the way the Quincy treat her... Some more passively..."

_Bambietta heard a knocking on her door and turned to see a redhead entering her room. The redhead's eyes widened upon seeing Ichigo's body lying on the floor. Before she could fall into a panic attack, the Stern Ritter reassured, "He's not dead. Now it's best you explain to me why you've entered my quarters unannounced, Soldat."_

_ Gina saluted and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry for being so rude, Lady Bambietta, but that man, Ichigo Kurosaki, is my ward... I was ord-_

_The dark-haired girl sighed and said, "Save it. Just take him."_

"...and some more violently..."

_He interrupted by growling, "Bitch, move!" and immediately pressed his hand into her face and pushed her out of his way. Ichigo's eyes widened considerably as she hit the frozen ground and his cape flew up from his left side, revealing his hooked Quincy Cross clipped on his waist._

"Quite a few of them view her father as a stain on the Wandenreich's history... And they view her the same... I hope you can understand why she acts the way she does."

Ichigo gave no verbal reply as he simply nodded. Turning back towards the window, he leaped into the air and disappeared, leaving Haschwalth behind as he watched. He closed his eyes and mumbled.

"...But then...she sees you as nothing more than a stepping stone... The living proof that she and her father weren't, and will not become, failures."

* * *

Ichigo closed the door behind and entered his room. He closed his eyes as he placed his cloak onto the rack and called out, "...I thought you would've been asleep by now... You can retire if you want to."

In the far-side corner of the room, Gina simply stared at him unblinkingly and replied, "Not unless you are safe and sound, Young Master. I can't do that in good conscious."

Ichigo sighed in annoyance and took long, but slow strides across the room towards his couch. He began unbuttoning his top as he heard the girl behind him make her way towards him.

"...I won't inquire upon your sudden disappearance, Young Master... If it was because of anything I said, I apologize, and I'll make sure it won't happen again."

She stood behind him as he tossed his shirt away. Without turning around, Ichigo mumbled, "You didn't do anything wrong. I was tired of being cooped up in this room for a while... Anyways, you can take the bed."

She blinked confusedly as he fell back against the leather seat. From past experiences, she knew that he usually allowed her to take his bed when he has either passed out on the couch...or because he was feeling sorry for her. This made her even more confused, causing her to stand there dumbly.

Gina was moved from her stupor as Ichigo chuckled mirthlessly and asked, "So are you plannin' to stay up until I go to sleep or something?"

He looked over his shoulder as she turned away and mumbled, "No... I was just... I-"

"...Can I ask you something, Gina? If you won't get mad or anything..."

When he realized that he had her attention, he added, "...For how long are you going to follow me around like this...?"

Gina frowned and simply answered, "My job is to serve you until my death. I don'-"

"...Then...once a Stern Ritter spot becomes open... I'm relieving you of your position."

* * *

"...What!? You're sending me out again!? Don't I get a break or something!?"

Yukio blinked and replied, "No. Riruka, you're going to guide Mrs. Kunieda here to the Urahara shop and wait for them to come back."

Ignoring the girl's pouting and stomping, he turned back to Ryo, who still sat numbly in her seat after what she heard.

_'Ichigo's father... I can't believe he's... I just...'_

"I told you what I believed, but Urahara is closer to Isshin Kurosaki... If anything, he'll confirm more about him than what I could... Be warned, though... The man usually never tells unless it's beneficial to him. If he does, you may want to watch out."

The dark-haired female nodded and turned to Riruka. The maroon-haired girl huffed loudly and waved her hand while groaning, "Hurry up! I don't wanna be out here all day!"

Ryo nodded and hopped to her feet.

_'So Isshin Kurosaki's...the one who brought so much attention to Ichigo...'_

She quickly and determinedly left the office with Riruka. Jackie, who had recently returned, watched her walk away with raised eyebrows before stepping into the room. She closed the door behind her and said, "You know you didn't give her the entire truth... It would've been better if you completely told her."

"...Not even Ichigo knows at this point... It wouldn't be fair to tell her _that_ when he doesn't know..."

She gave an amused sigh and motioned for Moe to fix her something to drink. While he did that, she turned back to Yukio and continued, "So why did you tell her about Isshin? Ichigo doesn't know either."

"...But he suspects... I'm sure he's aware of his father's importance...considering he's not on the Soul Reaper's shit list."

* * *

_"...way out of whack."_

_ The boy lazily placed the folded clothing into his locker. Completely unaware of the female voice speaking to him, the boy closed the locker and turned to leave, nearly bumping into the person._

_ "Oi, Momohara!? You listenin'!?"_

_ Tetsuo Momohara's eyes widened considerably as he was face-to-face with the Karate instructor. The teenager in front of him narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips as she stared him down._

_ Tetsuo held his hands up as he quickly yelled, "S-Sorry, Tatsuki-Sensei! I didn't mean to bump into you!"_

_ Tatsuki Arisawa, like Ichigo and the others, had graduated from Karakura High School, and was one of Ichigo's long-time friends. Unlike her other friends, she was less inclined to force Ichigo to return to Karakura, which was something Tetsuo found a little weird._

_ The girl sighed and repeated, "You're completely unfocused, Momohara... For someone who's been a part of the Karate Club, you definitely aren't acting like it."_

_ The boy awkwardly rubbed at his neck and apologized, "My bad... I've got other things on my mind..."_

_ Tatsuki watched as he turned in the other direction and headed towards the exit. She shook her head and mumbled, "Like Ichigo, right?"_

_ As soon as he heard her slightly whispered words, he glanced over his shoulder at Tatuski, a sudden flash of remorse crossing his face before he prepared to turn away. Before he could exit, the girl began chuckling, causing him to turn back towards her incredulously._

_ "And that's funny how...?"_

_ Her shoulders continued to bounce with her laughter as she sat on a nearby bench. When she finally recovered, she commented, "All of you guys are idiots if you believe Ichigo is coming back..."_

_ With narrowed eyes, Tetsuo grumbled, "For his supposed best friend, you don't seem to care very much."_

_ Her brows furrowed as she stared at him out of the corner of her eye. She closed them and stated, "Why do you want to bring him back...? In the case of Urahara's group, they want to keep him away from that Quincy man, right? And his mother simply wants her son back... So why are you and Ryo trying to bring him back?"_

_ Tetsuo raised an eyebrow, but Tatsuki interrupted him before he could answer._

_ "You think he betrayed his friends or something? I knew he would leave, and Orihime told him to go. You should understand by now...that everything Ichigo does is for his friends. If he went to that man in the first place...then you should know that he's going to come back... Maybe you guys need a little more faith."_

"...Hey, stop daydreaming! Urahara and Masaki are waiting at the store!"

Tetsuo woke from his stupor as the black cat, whom he remembered to be Yoruichi, jumped on his shoulders. He apologized, "Sorry, just gotta lot of things on my mind..."

The deep voice of the black cat commented, "You havin' second thoughts? Isn't this what you wanted?"

The boy shook his head and said, "Yeah, yeah... Let's just get this over with."

As he spoke to the cat, he flexed his gloved hand, which was red and black with the symbol of a skull on its padding.

* * *

Her heart had completely dropped...or maybe it rose far pass her own chest and into her throat, because she suddenly found it very hard to breathe. There wasn't anyway he could have said something like that.

Ichigo was completely unaware of the turmoil of emotions and thoughts clamoring in her head. He had expected her to be completely professional and expressionless about it, as she was about most things, until he heard her dejected whisper from her position.

"...I'm sorry... Is...Is there any reason why...? I mean... You don't have to...say anything... It's not my place..."

He did a double take when he became aware that she wasn't looking in his direction. The light sniffles emanating from beneath her overshadowing bangs and her hand covering her mouth caused him to realize how he might have sounded to her.

"You haven't...uhh... You didn't do anything wrong, Gina... I meant that I wanted you to become a Stern Ritter."

Her sniffles faded into hacks and coughs as she stumbled backwards onto a nearby dresser, causing Ichigo to jump from his seat and cry out worriedly, "Oi, Gina!? Are you alright!?"

When he attempted to move over to her, she waved her hand to motion him to stop. As she began to recover, she huffed out, "I'm okay! I'm okay! I just... I wasn't expecting to hear that..."

She pulled herself up and laid back on the dresser with a hand on her chest as she breathed heavily and narrowed her eyes at Ichigo. With a sigh of relief, she breathed out, "...Don't... Don't scare me like that, Young Master..."

"...Like what? I was serious..."

Ichigo flinched away when her glare became even more heated, and Gina simply stated, "...And what made you think that I wanted to be a Stern Ritter? Or that I was even good enough to be one?"

He sighed at her response and said, "Well... I'll just recommend you for something else, then... That way, you..."

He trailed off as her anger reversed itself back to sadness. Her hand slowly fell from her chest to her side and she questioned solemnly, "...Have...Have I been a terrible attendant? Why are you trying to move me...?"

Ichigo shook his head and repeated, "You didn't do anything wrong! I mean... I just think you'll be better suited for another position, rather than a personal slave..."

"Slave? I chose to dedicate myself to you, Young Master."

He blinked at Gina's answer and raised an eyebrow. His shoulders slumped in confusion and he dumbly mumbled, "Huh?"

She gazed back at him and said, "I abandoned my previous post when I heard that you were being brought here. I wanted to do so."

"...I don't understand... How can you _want_ to be some kind of servant? You can't change a thing while being a mere servant!"

Gina tilted her head to the side in questioning as she asked, "And what am I supposed to change?"

Ichigo's mouth fell agape and he incredulously replied, "Redeeming your father's name, right!? No one will respect you if they all think they can step on you!"

Her eyes narrowed as deeply as they did earlier that evening, and before she could tell him off, he interrupted, "And this isn't the end of story! You can't tell me that you really plan on lying down and doing absolutely nothing except follow me around for the rest of my life!"

"...And what do you want me to do? I've done everything I could! I was lucky enough to even be assigned to you!"

His hostile stance slowly eased away as she heaved and continued, "His Majesty was going to execute me as soon as I overheard the conversation about you... It was only thanks to Master Haschwalth that I'm still here..."

"...So you didn't have a choice..."

She shook her head and said, "No, Young Master... It was my _best _choice."

Upon his confused expression, she elaborated, "You said it yourself... To redeem my father... They said he was a failure, but _you_ aren't. You are the living proof that my father wasn't foolish in his beliefs. Only you can prove these idiots wrong... You are the key to redeeming my father, so I will dedicate my life to making sure that you do that... I _chose _to place myself at your side."

Even Ichigo had to say that he was inspired by her confident expression. It was kind that he, too, had once given to his father... An expression when one has the utmost belief and faith in every action that he made.

It seemed that his reasons for becoming stronger acquired another to add to its list.

* * *

"...It's only a matter of time, Haschwalth. The next invasion begins soon."

Haschwalth opened his eyes as the Quincy King spoke. He simply blinked without a response as Yhwach stepped down from the castle's balcony and away from the wintry wind. As he entered his domain, he looked over his shoulder at his right hand man and ordered, "I want you to mobilize the Stern Ritter for our next invasion... Once Hueco Mundo is conquered, it will only be matter of time before the Soul Society is the next to fall."

As the Monarch walked away, the Stern Ritter turned towards the vast view of the kingdom and sighed.

"...Soon..."

* * *

Notes:

-Sorry that this chapter took so long (College is life-consuming). I'm not particularly satisfied with it (as it was a amalgamation of many different chapter ideas into one) but I figured I needed to hurry up and get it out of the way so I can begin on the second Hueco Mundo invasion.

-The chapter wasn't intended to give that many details away, hence it doesn't explain what Yukio said about Isshin, nor does it reveal where Tetsuo is going.


	19. Impending Invasion

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

It was with great reluctance that Ichigo brought himself out of his bed. The Hueco Mundo invasion began today, and he just wanted to be done with it... But this was also something he had been waiting a long time for.

He had paid close Yhwach's battle with his mother and Urahara. He seem very wary of Urahara, but was otherwise, merely playing with them. Whomever this Queen of Hueco Mundo happens to be, from the way Gantenbainne worshiped her, she had to be powerful... This was his only chance to figure out his weakness.

"Young Master, your clothing has been prepared and placed on the chair. I have also placed your Ginto capsules on the table in front of them. You cannot miss them."

His train of thought was interrupted by the sudden echo of his assistant's voice. Ichigo held his face in his hands and groaned, "How can you be perfectly normal in a time like this?"

"...You mean the invasion? I'm not worried. I believe you will come back safe and sound."

He looked up towards the redhead and stated, "I meant in the morning time... Do you even sleep?"

The woman raised an eyebrow and said, "Morning time? Young Master, it's almost noon. His Majesty is preparing to leave within the hour."

Eyes widening in panic, Ichigo jumped off of his bed and ran over to his clothing. He quickly slid into his cropped pants and placed his arms through the thigh-high trenchcoat's sleeves. His white gloves and black boots soon followed, along with the belt containing the Ginto tubes.

Gina held out her hand and reminded Ichigo, "Young Master, your cloak."

Ichigo gratefully, and hurriedly, replied, "Thanks, Gina," before grabbing and throwing it over his shoulder. He looked towards the door until his head suddenly snapped towards the window, causing her to worry.

"...Young Master? What are you...?"

Her question was answered the moment he rushed full speed towards the glass window and broke through it, sending shards flying out with him. Her jaws dropped as she ran towards the window and looked down at his free-falling form as he looked back to her during his descent.

"Hey! I'm sorry about that! I'll get a Soldat or something to fix it!"

She sighed to herself with a small smile as he flipped himself up and leaped across the buildings towards the Gate of the Sun's area. She watched the golden star-cross symbol on his back fade away as he escaped into the distance.

She turned away from the window with slightly narrowed eyes and mumbled, "It seems...that we're getting closer and closer... It won't be long now..."

* * *

"During the initial assault, you and a small squadron through the desert circle of Las Noches. While His Majesty takes out the leader, we will be responsible for any remaining Espada and important Arrancar in the area, and then we will converge at His Majesty's position as he finishes up. Try to keep any you come across alive, but end them quickly if the situation requires you to do so. Am I clear?"

Ichigo nodded his affirmative, and Quilge stiffly turned away and marched off, leaving him alone. Leaning against the wall, he sighed and turned towards the gathering Quincy and Stern Ritter who were preparing themselves for the invasion. He noticed a new face among the representatives of the Stern Ritter.

He had medium-length black hair with a single strand hanging down in front of his face to his mouth. He had a silver bracer on his left arm and was standing next to Yhwach, who focused his attention on the gathering Soldat.

"...It seems we meet again, Ichigo Kurosaki."

He turned his head to left and saw the flamboyant Quincy whom he knew to be Shaz Domino. With a bored expression, Ichigo simply said, "Yo," before dropping his head back on the wall. However, a double-take was commenced when he realized that the man was actually standing there with the group.

"Hey, wait a sec...You're not one of the Stern Ritter assigned to this mission."

Shaz shrugged and commented, "Well, Bazz-B was _meant_ to be here... Until you put him in the medical ward, that is. It seems that His Majesty became more cautious and brought more Stern Ritter."

Ichigo nodded and turned back to the large gathering of Quincy. It seemed that a lot of people were recruited for the mission, but it still wasn't enough in his opinion.

_'…For an invasion, I was expecting an all-out war. This feels more like a small skirmish than anything... Either he doesn't want to risk his men...or the Old Man believes he could finish this all by himself...'_

He absentmindedly noted a group of Soldat roaming the area, dressed in their short capes, gas masks, and white berets. He didn't even realize that they were actually walking towards him until three of them stood next to him on his right side. The one in the middle hesitantly asked, "Are you...Lieutenant Kurosaki?"

_'Lieutenant?'_

He figured that was the term for Quilge's right hand, so he nodded. At that, the soldier grabbed the collar of his cape and announced, "All of those assigned to Sanrei team, report to the west side wall. I repeat, report to the left side wall."

As he straightened his collar, the Soldat, presumably the leader, turned back to Ichigo and explained, "Master Quilge ordered Sanrei to form rank with you... Your mission intertwines with ours, so we're with you."

"...Mission?"

He had the distinct feeling that the soldiers were looking at him as if he was idiot, because he could see Shaz's expression from the corner of his eye. The soldiers looked at each other before turning back to Ichigo, and the leader stated, "Your mission is the same as the Stern Ritter. Your task is to either capture or exterminate any Espada and Privaron Espada."

Ichigo nodded his understanding and wondered, "So what do you guys have to do with that?"

"...The desert circle that you've been assigned to infiltrate is connected to the former residences of Sosuke Aizen's Espada. There are only a few of them left, so we assume that they've been filled by the reamining Numeros. We're to raid the Numeros while you combat the higher ups. Simple, right?"

_'...Sosuke Aizen? I swear I've heard that name from somewhere... Probably not that important...'_

He simply filed that thought away and gave the Soldat a thumbs-up. He heard the shuffling of more marching feet and saw the rest of the team file towards him. One of the new arrivals walked next to him and said, "His Majesty wishes to speak with you before the invasion."

Ichigo turned his gaze towards Yhwach, who stared expectantly back at him. He pulled himself away from the wall and steered towards the awaiting Monarch. The man motioned for the Quincy to return to his position before giving his full attention to the arriving Quincy. The towering man looked down at him as he stood in front of him.

"It seems you've really grown in such a short amount of time, Ichigo Kurosaki. I won't say that I didn't expect this, but you have truly surpassed my expectations of you."

Unprepared for the initial compliment from the Emperor, Ichigo awkwardly scratched at his cheek and said, "Uhh... Thanks...I guess..."

_'What the hell?'_

Yhwach's eyes snapped to a particular position in the far off distance of the room before reaching into his cloak and pulling out a single black glove decorated with the symbol of the Wandenreich.

"...Wear this glove under your clothing... This will make it difficult for you to fight, as it repels Reishi away from you... But it will grant you a power beyond imagining after you've gotten used to it."

Ichigo stared at it with a slight quirk of his brow. He reluctantly took off his own glove and replaced it with the black one before slipping the white glove back over it.

"I must ask you not to take it off. I fear the results would be...distinctly overwhelming for you."

With that last statement, he turned away and sauntered off, leaving a confused Ichigo behind. As he flexed his right hand, noting the new weighted feeling, the clapping of footsteps sounded behind him.

"It seems His Majesty's given you a Sanrei Glove. It seems abut right... Hueco Mundo is filled with Reishi, so it would be difficult for the glove to repel all of it... Not to mention that you are able to use the mask to absorb it anyway... It would be nothing more than a slight handicap."

Bambietta soon appeared in his vision, her arms thrown around his shoulders as she studied the glove. An uncomfortable shiver rose in Ichigo's spine and he mumbled, "...Can you get off of me...? I don't feel comfortable...with you on my shoulders..."

It seemed like she didn't hear him as her hand gripped his shoulder tighter. She poked him in the chest and said, "Since you've really come into your own, we should play a little game... You know, see who can kill the most Arrancar... That way, we can see how strong you really are."

"...The mission is to capture the Arrancar, not kill them."

Bambietta pulled away from him with apprehension and insisted, "Come on, don't be a bitch! Let's see... Numeros are worth a single point, Privaron Espada will be two points, and an Espada will be worth three! Simple, no?"

Ichigo turned away and mumbled, "I don't plan on killing anyone..."

She huffed and placed her hands on her hips. With an annoyed sigh, she groaned, "Fine! You don't have to kill anyone! In that case, any that you _capture_ will be worth the same as my _kills_. To be fair on your part, if you do happen to kill any of them, you get double the points!"

Just as equally annoyed, Ichigo crossed his arms and said, "Fine. I'll play your little game."

"...And if I win... Well, you and I both know what I want if I win. So what do you want...you know, _if_ you win?"

His eyes snapped open quickly and he turned to Bambietta with a single raised eyebrow. Ignoring her false pouting, he murmured, "You think I'm not going to win or something? You clearly underestimate me."

She turned away from him while looking at her nails and said, "Don't talk like you're the big dog around here now because you managed to overwhelm Bazz-B after catching him off-guard."

When his facial expression dropped in shock and anger, she smirked and revealed, "Your new transformation is powerful, but I'm sure Bazz-B didn't use his Vollstandig, did he?"

Even without looking at him, she knew his expression was blank, so she elaborated, "Vollstandig is the ultimate transformation of a Quincy... To help with your understanding, think of a Soul Reaper's Bankai... Until you defeat him in that form, you clearly aren't ready to stand against me."

With narrowed eyes, he balled his fist up and said, "Then I'll beat you at your own game. If I win... Then your rank is mine... And I'll be taking that large room of yours."

For a few moments, she was completely silent. She finally looked over her shoulder with a unamused smile on her face and mumbled, "You're joking if you think you're gonna take my room and rank... You can't be serious."

"...Completely."

Before Bambietta could come up with a retort, the Quincy Sovereign's voice echoed through the Wandenreich hall.

"_From this point on... We are truly at war. The time of a thousand years of waiting is upon us... Hueco Mundo will be our stepping stone to the dawn of a new age. And then... We march on to the Soul Society...and leave the shadows behind us._"

Yhwach held his hand up and balled his fist. The single action created immediate order in the hall as every Quincy began lining up immediately. The squad of Soldat that was assigned to him ran up to him.

"Sir, we have to line up. Follow us."

As he moved to follow them, Bambietta's hand gripped his sleeve. He turned to stare into her challenging expression as she murmured, "There's no way I'm going to let you win. You sealed your fate when you wished to claim that as your prize."

He pulled his hand away from her grasp and chuckled, "Then I'll simply try harder. I have no intentions of giving myself up to you."

She watched him walk away and turned back to her own assigned unit with a smirk on her face.

"...I guess he's ready..."

* * *

_"An Arrancar's been spotted! They've taken defensive positions! They already know we're here!"_

"Unit E has made contact with a group of Arrancars at the entrance of Las Noches, His Majesty! Initiating command 'Capture on Sight'!"

In the Menos Forest deep below the surface of Hueco Mundo, the Wandenreich made their temporary base their. In the current communication stand, Ichigo leaned against a rocky wall on the left with the unknown Stern Ritter and few other Quincies who weren't a part of the initial invasion unit.

He was listening in on the conversation when the blonde Warrant Officer reported the incident to Yhwach. Sitting unaffected upon his new makeshift throne, he closed his eyes and ordered, "Tell Bambietta to end them quickly. I don't like for battles to take long."

"You've been ordered to end it as quickly as possible!"

On the other side of the room, another report was soon given by another Warrant Officer.

"M-One has taken casualties in the desert circle of Las Noches, along with G-One inside of the palace residences!"

Yhwach sighed and complained, "This invasion was supposed to be over in a day. At this rate, we'll be here for over a week. Askin, I'm sending you to G-One's position. The Schatten Bereich is open to you."

The man, whom he now knew to be Askin, nodded and hurried out of the room. The Quincy King turned back to the Communication Officers. A few seconds later, he called out with reluctance, "Sanrei-One... You're up."

With surprise clearly written on his face, Ichigo looked up towards the Monarch, who simply said, The Schatten Bereich is open to you. Clear out the circle, then come straight back."

He sighed and lifted himself from the wall and mumbled, "Alright, whatever..," before turning and walking away from the area. He looked to his right where Sanrei was resting. He waved them over and shouted, "We're up! Let's go! We're going to the desert circle!"

The Soldats quickly left the area and walked with him as he stood on a series of symbols and waited. He watched as shadows emerged from the surface and encompassed the team, summoning him to the position where he was needed.

* * *

When the shadows cleared, the vision of the dark cave was replaced by a bright light, which he realized was the sun. Holding his hands up to protect his eyes, he was soon surprised when someone called out, "The sun is fake. It seems someone here has good taste."

Pulling his hands down, he came upon the sight of Shaz Domino, slightly wounded, holding a heavily bleeding body, which he noticed was an Arrancar. He looked behind the man and noticed the rest of his squad, which was definitely smaller than before.

The man gave a sigh of relief and mumbled,"...I think I'm going to start killing these creatures from now on... Risking everything to keep them alive isn't worth it."

Ichigo frowned and looked around the area, asking, "Was this the only threat?"

He shrugged and said, "I'm sure I felt more of them, but for now, it seems to be."

Ichigo turned towards his team and said, "Do what Quilge ordered you all to do... See if anyone else is nearby."

The leader of the Soldats nodded and screamed, "Sanrei-Four, Sanrei-Six, with me! Sanrei-Two, Three, and Five, you check the other direction! The remaining four will stay behind and tend to M-Unit!"

As the Soldat left the area and the others tended to the other Quincy, Ichigo followed Shaz as he explained the situation to him.

"Las Noches is completely locked down... During our expedition, an Arrancar must've escaped and informed the rest of them. The Espada and Privaron Espada have been secretly striking at us with guerrilla tactics and large squad invasions with the Fraccion and Hollows."

Ichigo stopped and looked over at the Arrancar in his grasp.

"Is that Arrancar in your arms...an Espada?"

Shaz looked over at him and said, "No. It was the leader of the squad... However, he could be a Privaron Espada..."

Ichigo grabbed his chin and looked down at his feet as he tried to think of something. He turned back to Shaz and asked, "Have you come across an Espada yet?"

The Stern Ritter frowned and said, "No. Quilge contacted me and informed that he was being attack by Espada... Along with several other Stern Ritter... And from what I understand, Bambietta has been attacked by the squads as well..."

_'So they're switching out their invasions... One is designed to weaken them for the next assault... Wait, that means...!'_

"Shit!"

Ichigo quickly turned back to the group of Quincy behind him and screamed, "All of you! Get out of the way!"

The Soldat stared at him blankly, and Ichigo was shocked as a beam of blue light soared past him towards the group, destroying one of the Quincy's heads entirely. The world seemed to slow down as the blood splattered on the others.

A sudden burst of sound announced the arrival of the assailant who quickly moved to the center of the group. The Arrancar grabbed the arm of a Soldat and ripped it off before using it as a club against another Quincy. One of the soldiers materialized a Reishi rifle and began firing it rapidly towards the unknown figure.

"Shit! Somebody get him!"

The screaming Quincy found his face suddenly crushed under the weight of the assailant. When another tried to come at the Arrancar with a knife, he pressed his palm into his face, charging a beam of red light.

"...Cer-"

The assailant was interrupted as his arm was held back, and looked over his shoulder to see Ichigo grabbing onto him and materializing his Reishi Sword. The hand charging his Cero was pulled away from the soldier and sent towards the orange-haired Quincy, who intercepted the attack by swinging his sword into the Arrancar's wrist. As if he had came down upon metal, the blade rebounded from the wrist bone, though it saved him from the powerful Cero released into the air.

_'Shit! This guy's Hierro is definitely Espada level! I thought my hand was gonna break!'_

The guy's head snapped back as a series of flying Reishi daggers soared in front of him, and he turned towards Shaz. Ichigo yelped as he was suddenly thrown over the Arrancar's shoulder and the assailant disappeared with a loud noise.

"Crap! Kurosaki, where did he go!?"

When Ichigo finally managed to maneuver to a crouch and looked towards Shaz, his eyes widened as he yelled, "Look out!"

The Espada reappeared behind the Stern Ritter with his Zanpakuto drawn and raised above his head. Shaz little time to react as he was suddenly split vertically in half. Ichigo too had little time to do anything as the sharpened end of the katana appeared in front of him.

* * *

"Your Majesty, Shaz Domino is dead! Ichigo Kurosaki is locked in battle with the Espada responsible! Do you want me to alert the closest unit as they are finishing u- Wait! Unit I is on their way!"

Yhwach looked down at the Warrant Officer and said, "It will be fine. Order Cang Du to stand down. Ichigo Kurosaki will be able to handle this on his own."

The Communications Officer stared at his King with disbelief and uncertainty, a sentiment shared by all the other officers. However, he did not say a word as he reluctantly turned back around and spoke into his headset.

"...You have been ordered to stand down... Continue with your original task."


	20. Watch the Throne

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"...Well, this doesn't look good."

The Espada's mouth curled into a furious snarl and he murmured, "You're damn right 'bout that one. What's with you Quincies bringing your fuckshit into Hueco Mundo?"

His half-way zipped hooded jacket and white hakama flowed in the wind as the Espada glared down at Ichigo. The wind pushed the hood off of his head, revealing a head filled with messy blue hair and an angry, feline-like jaw fragment on the man's face, confirming that he was an Arrancar.

"...Well... That's a long story, Mr. Espada, sir... You see, the leader of the Quincy wants to kidnap you all and turn you into slaves... So maybe if you come quietly..."

The Espada reared back apprehensively and said, "So ya think you're being funny, don't cha? I ain't lettin' any of you bitches take me alive."

Ichigo closed his eyes and smirked. He mumbled, "I didn't think so... See, I didn't plan on taking you back to the Wandenreich..."

The man narrowed his eyes as the Quincy glared at him angrily and yelled, "Not after you killed all of these Quincies right in front of me...!"

Suddenly, Ichigo's hand grabbed the blade and threw it away from his face as he slashed towards the Espada with his Spirit Weapon.

"Now I'm just gonna beat the shit outta you and hope I don't kill you!"

The Espada reacted quickly and used his other fist to clash with the sword, pushing them both away from the other. They both looked towards the other and locked eyes before dashing back to the center and clashing, creating an explosion of dust and rocks.

"...And who are you, Espada?"

The blue-haired Arrancar clicked his tongue and revealed, "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques...Privaron Espada."

_'That's impossible... This guy and Gantenbainne are on two completely different levels...'_

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo didn't have time to catch the surprised expression on Grimmjow's face as he palmed it and pushed the Arrancar back, slamming him into a nearby red tower.

After the debris and smoke cleared away, he found himself surprised when the Espada pushed his hand away and growled, "Did you just tell me that your name was 'Kurosaki!'? You're related to that bitch-ass Kurosaki Soul Reaper!?"

The image of his father flashed through his mind and his strength faltered for a moment. That was enough for Grimmjow to push him away as the man emerged from the broken pillar. He flexed his shoulders and glared down at Ichigo intently as the Quincy flipped to his feet and slid away.

"...And how the hell do you know my father?"

Ichigo wasn't prepared for the moment that the man began emitting heavy laughter deep from his own lungs. His shoulders bounced repeatedly as he laughed into the sky like a child given a new toy.

"You're his son!? Holy shit! There really is someone up above, 'cause the heavens are shining down on me right now! Come here, you little shit!"

Grimmjow slashed his Zanpakuto towards Ichigo from the ground, creating large geysers of debris and smoke as the shock waves destroyed the earth around them. Ichigo jumped into the air to dodge and floated high above.

"...Shit... He really took down a lot of buildings with that slash... I'll have to be careful... I gotta end this one now."

The Arrancar smirked and leaped into the air after Ichigo and swiped at him. As he moved out of the way, Grimmjow flipped and changed direction, heading towards the dodging Quincy.

"End it now!? There's no way! I'm gonna savor this one!"

As the Privaron Espada came closer, Ichigo frowned and mumbled, "People like you and Bazz-B...are really kind of annoying... I guess I'll have to do this the hard way..."

He held his hand up, gathering the nearby Reishi in his palm. Grimmjow's eyes widened as he brought his hands down, and with a loud roar, revealed his light-blue Reishi mask and the bright-blue orbs beneath them, clashing against the dark scelera of his eyes.

**"Maskieren."**

Grimmjow's eyes twitched as he made contact with Ichigo's Spirit Weapon and rebounded off of it as the Quincy pushed him back. As he slid through the air, he looked up and noticed that the mask was right in front of him, and raised his Zanpakuto to block.

The man was forced on the defensive end as Ichigo dashed around him, repeatedly clashing with him and pushing him around.

_'I can't keep blocking his attacks! I need to turn this thing around!'_

**"Not so fast, Mr. Grimmjow... I have to give you some credit... The last Privaron Espada I fought wasn't strong enough for me to use this mask... So for you, I'm gonna hit you with everything I got!"**

The Arrancar gasped as Ichigo held his fist out to him, gathering large amounts of Reishi at the end of it. He reared his fist back and punched forward with a yell of, **"**_**Heilig Kugel!**_**"**

Ichigo watched the Arrancar's figure rocket away from the explosion as he crashed into the ground, emitting a large quake around his form. Using Hirenkyaku, he appeared at the edge of the crater and looked down into it.

**"...I have to admit, that was a nice trick... Using your Cero to counter my Heilig Kugel to lessen the damage... That must have truly caught you off guard, this mask, to resort to such desperate measures..."**

The consistently huffing, worn-down body of Grimmjow leered at him from the inside of the crater. The Privaron Espada gritted his teeth and growled, "What-the fuck-ever! I was just seeing what you were capable of with it, since everyone's been talking about it!"

Ichigo didn't have time to be shocked about that statement, as Grimmjow yelled out, "With this, it'll all be over!"

He reached over for his Zanpakuto and held it out in front of him before running his hand down the length of its blade, releasing a large amount of Reiatsu through out the area. As the Arrancar roared and screamed to the sky, Ichigo was nearly thrown back by the large shock wave of energy.

_'Just by screaming!? There's no way this guy's a Privaron! This energy...is actually pushing away the Reishi in the air! I can feel my mask cracking!'_

"_Grind...__**Pantera!**_"

* * *

Bambietta's face morphed into an expression of shock as she felt the large wave of Reiatsu pour over the area, causing her own clothes to ruffle and waver beneath the vast winds.

"'The hell was that!?"

Next to her, an Asian-featured male stood near her, staring back in the same direction. His eyes narrowed even further, and the scar on the right side of his lip curled upward in his worrisome snarl as he grunted, "That was the release of an Espada... Whomever it was, they're leagues above any other Espada out here..."

The woman growled and turned around to leave, causing the male to call out, "Wait. Bambietta, where are you going?"

"'Where am I going!?' Isn't it obvious, Cang Du!? Such a high-ranking Espada making his way to the battlefield could only mean one thing!"

Cang Du, the Stern Ritter _'I'_, frowned and said, "...They were targeting Ichigo from the very beginning... They must have saw the mask during his battle with Bazz-B..."

Before Bambietta could continue her trek, Cang grabbed her arm and pulled her back. As she screamed at him to let go, he whispered, "His Majesty has given the order to leave him be. Do not be branded a traitor for such a stupid action, Bambietta."

She gritted her teeth and ripped her arm from his grasp. He watched as she drew her Spirit Weapon once more and joined the fray, a lot more angrier than before. He sighed and looked behind him at the approaching group of Hollows.

"...This what _he_ wanted as well, Bambietta... You obviously realized this, too..."

* * *

"Tch, looks like the FNG's gon' and gotten himself into trouble again."

A large, dark-skinned man with blonde cornrows looked over his shoulder as he punched an Arrancar into the stone wall behind it. Before another could attack him from behind, it was destroyed by a Heilig Pfeil.

"Looks like it, doesn't it? You gonna go save him, Jerome?"

Jerome Guizbatt, Stern Ritter _'R'_, shook his head and denied, "Like hell... Ever since his little confrontation with Bazz-B, he's all the Wandenreich can talk about."

Another dark-skinned man with dark hair fanned into spikes and a white mask walked behind him and smirked slightly as he raised his hand. NaNaNa Najahkoop, Stern Ritter _'U'_.

"Don't you sound jealous... Even you should've known that the moment the kid was brought here, he was going to be the center of attention... And he ain't getting' off that pedestal any time soon... This...will be his only chance to prove himself... If that Espada don't kill 'em...then His Majesty surely will."

* * *

**"You're a bad liar, you know? There's no way someone like you could be a Privaron."**

After the shock waves was clear, the Arrancar's clothing was replaced by segmented armor with spikes on his wrist, elbows, shoulders, and calves, and his hands and feet were black and clawed. A crown-like bone fragment rested on his forehead, pinning his feline-like ears to his head and allowing his long blue hair to flow out of the top. On his abdomen rested his hollow hole, now visible for Ichigo to see. He also noticed many different scratches and burn marks across his body.

Grimmjow crouched over cat-like and flexed his claws before mumbling, "I wasn't lying... I was an Espada until that _fucker _took my rank away! I swore that I'd become stronger so I could kill him, and that's exactly what I've done...! You don't stand a chance against me, Kurosaki!"

Ichigo frowned beneath his mask and entered a stance, preparing himself for any sudden movements. Just as he was waiting for, Grimmjow disappeared from his spot. Glancing to his right, Ichigo swung his blade towards the shocked expression on the Privaron Espada's

**"I can see you! You're not fast enough!"**

Just as his blade was nearing the Arrancar, he grabbed it, halting it in its tracks with his bare hands. Ichigo looked down incredulously as Grimmjow slowly applied pressure to it, creating cracks across its crystalline surface.

Grimmjow clicked his took and laughed, "Bitch, please..."

The mask shattered under Grimmjow's force-breaking punch, sending Ichigo soaring across the desert and into many different towers until he crashed into the actual capital building of Las Noches and skidded across the floor.

With a large gasp, pulled his face from the floor and moved to pick himself up. Nearly vomiting from the sudden movement, he picked himself up slowly and brought a single knee up to lean on. He chuckled slightly and painfully to himself, "...Damn... Ichigo, you've definitely bitten off more than you chew..."

He reached into the side of his coat and pulled out a single Ginto tube. Popping the top off, he quickly placed it over his mouth and downed it in a single gulp before throwing the glass away.

"...Oh, that's interesting... Those tubes contain Reiryoku, so you're restoring your own by drinking them."

Ichigo looked over his shoulder as Grimmjow stood crouched upon a high platform in the center of the room. He looked to the left of the room and let out a cruel snicker as he noted, "...Ironic, this is... The Fifth Tower of Las Noches... This room...is Aizen's old throne room."

He looked behind him at the stone chair, and Ichigo was confused when the man growled a little and turned back to him.

"This throne was made for my ass, and my ass alone. He's gone now, and I can sit in it all I want... So are you here to take this throne from me, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo's response was to hold his hand up and gather Reishi in it. He pulled down, bringing out his mask and yelling, **"You're damn right I am!"**

"Then let's get to it! Don't let that mask break again, otherwise this shit'll get boring!"

Clapping his hands together, Ichigo slowly pulled them apart, revealing a large Heilig Pfiel that was more like a lance. Rearing back with his left hand held out towards Grimmjow, he narrowed his eyes and responded, **"I don't plan on it."**

* * *

"Gina."

The redheaded attendant nearly fell from the top of the ice tower as she heard her name being called. She turned around and saw Haschwalth, causing her to quickly stand up and dust her clothing off before she stood at attention.

"What is it that you require of me...?"

The Stern Ritter Grandmaster turned on his heel and motioned for Gina to follow him. Blinking at his silence, she simply shrugged her shoulders and followed him as he lead her through the towers and towards the Medical Ward. Within a few minutes they arrived at a particular room, one which made Gina quite hesitant to enter.

In order to ease her worries, Haschwalth held his hand out in front of her and said, "He won't do anything to you. Ichigo's victory has seemingly secured your safety from him."

Without paying her any attention, he pushed open the door and entered the room, and Gina followed behind him. In the center of the room, Bazz-B was performing exercises and stretches to rejuvenate his weakened body. Upon realizing that someone entered his room, the man called out, "Oi, Ciara! You gotta lemme out! The invasion's starting!"

Before Haschwalth or Gina could say anything, a deep, feminine voice echoed through the room, "Ah, but Jugo gave me strict orders not to let you go anywhere. If you don't like them, you can take it up with him now."

Out of the corner of her eye, Gina noticed that a woman dressed in nursing lab coat entered the room while marking on her clipboard. Underneath the white lab coat, she wore the typical uniform that many members of the Wandenreich, more specifically the Stern Ritter, wore. Her dark-brown hair was wrapped in a traditional-fashioned bun, and her umber eyes darted across the paper she was studying. This was Ciara Varuton, Stern Ritter _'V' _and the head of the Sanitätsdienst and Daten Sammler.

"As she says, you aren't going anywhere outside of the Wandenreich."

Bazz-B's attention finally locked on Haschwalth's and Gina's as he realized that they were in the one, and he resumed his exercising while grunting, "'The hell are you two doing here, then, if I'm not leaving?"

"...Who says I was here for you?"

With that being said, Ciara glanced up from her notes and murmured, "Come again? Are you here for me then, Jugo?"

Haschwalth turned his attention to the nurse and replied, "Yes. It is a given by now...that Ichigo Kurosaki will be joining our ranks soon... Ciara, I want you present at his Selektion..."

Ciara and Gina's eyes widened considerably, and the medical Stern Ritter mumbled disbelievingly, "Are you certain? You have been questioning this for the past few weeks... Surely he isn't-"

"...No. He's ready. As soon as he comes back, he'll be even stronger than ever...close to even my own strength."

Bazz-B suddenly stopped in his exercising and stood on his feet as he questioned, "You've gotta be kidding me... You can't serious believe that this kid is strong enough to-"

Immediately, Haschwalth cut him off with force and answered, "He _is_. His Sklaverei and Reishi absorption has given him the potential to surpass all of us...even His Majesty himself... He is the key component to this upcoming war..."

Gina, suddenly catching onto what Haschwalth was saying, finished, "...And that's why the invasion of Soul Society is happening directly after we overthrow Hueco Mundo..."

"Exactly. His Majesty even believes that Kurosaki...will surpass us all...but that isn't what I truly came here for... Ciara, is it finished?"

Ciara's surprised expression moulded back to her blank, professional image and she answered, "It's nowhere near being done... It can't be finished without his Reiatsu."

Haschwalth clicked his tongue in disapproval and said, "Then I guess we'll have to wait for his return. Gina, let's go..."

"Wait, where are we going?"

Without stopping or looking over his shoulder, Haschwalth responded, "...We...are going to prepare for Kurosaki's return..."

* * *

Ichigo jabbed forward with his Spirit Weapon, which was promptly blocked by Grimmjow's Hierro-powered claw. He could feel his mask cracking under the pressure.

_'Damn! It's impossible to keep up! The mask only lasts for two minutes... It doesn't matter if I get an advantage when I lose it every time my mask breaks!'_

"What happened to those words earlier, Kurosaki!? Why does your mask continue to break!?"

Ichigo grimaced as he was pushed away. As he slid along the ground, he raised his sword to block Grimmjow's over head kick. Rolling on his side, he attempted a sweeping slash under the Arrancar's feet, though he simply flipped over the strike and kicked Ichigo twice, sending him flying into the platform underneath the throne.

"Is this it!? Is this your limit, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

'_...It is... That was all I had...'_

Ichigo cursed as he lifted himself from the rubble underneath the platform. As he rose, he looked down at the glove on his hand.

_"__...Wear this glove under your clothing... This will make it difficult for you to fight, as it repels Reishi away from you... But it will grant you a power beyond imagining after you've gotten used to it."_

"...Repelling the Reishi..."

_ "It seems His Majesty's given you a Sanrei Glove. It seems abut right... Hueco Mundo is filled with Reishi, so it would be difficult for the glove to repel all of it... Not to mention that you are able to use the mask to absorb it anyway... It would be nothing more than a slight handicap."_

Maybe that slight handicap was what was holding him back... Maybe he needed to lose that.

_"I must ask you not to take it off. I fear the results would be...distinctly overwhelming for you." _

"Fuck that!"

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at Ichigo's loud outburst. He watched as the other reached towards his glove and ripped it off, revealing a black glove with the symbol of the Wandenreich. He watched it expectantly, waiting for something to happen.

"...You're an idiot, Kurosaki... Pulling out tricks like this to disappoint me... I'm done with you! I'm gonna kill you now!"

_'I hadn't gotten used to it yet... Was I not supposed to take it off...?'_

Suddenly, a burning sensation ran up his right arm, sending signals of harsh and torturous pain into his brain. As Grimmjow neared him, he screamed out, causing the former Espada to stop in his tracks. His eye twitched as he murmured, "What...is this form...?"

Looking down at his arm, Ichigo noticed that blue, flaming Reishi had emerged solely on his right arm. It seemed like it had no intentions of stopping.

_'This...this hurts! This can't be the great power that old man was talking about!'_

_ "I must ask you not to take it off. I fear the results would be...distinctly overwhelming for you."_

Amidst all of the pain, Ichigo managed to sweatdrop and mumbled, "Maybe I should have listened..."

He looked out of the corner of his eye as Grimmjow moved to his right side, intent on attack his injured right side. With a loud scream and a roar, Ichigo grabbed his incoming foot and pushed back. He, along with Grimmjow, was surprised when the push emitted a force that was capable sending shock waves to the ceiling, blasting an entire corner away.

As Grimmjow was thrown away, Ichigo held out his right hand, creating a large, flaming blade in his grasp.

_****__...Don't think of this as the end... It's just the beginning._

_ Ichigo gritted his teeth harder as he felt something. He had barely noticed that the Lieutenant had stopped in his tracks as he stared at the Quincy's hand._

_ "Wh-What's going on!?"_

_ He looked down at his arm, surprised as his bow erupted into bluish, flame-like Reishi. The Reishi spread to his shoulder, covering his entire arm. A psychotic, maniacal expression appeared on Ichigo's face as he looked down at it._

_ "...It's him...! That Hollow... He hates this weakness! He's telling me... He's telling me to step it up!"_

He looked down at it as he was reminded of the battle with the Stealth Force, and realized what was happening.

_"Your blade, Ichigo Kurosaki, is the result of trying to force it into its Spirit Weapon. The Spirit Weapon comes once you master your Spiritual Pressure."_

_ 'So whatever this is...this ain't the complete transformation... This is my trying to force myself into something that I wasn't ready for...'_

"_Desgarron!_"

Ichigo looked up as the Arrancar came down from the dust and smoke with ten large blades of Reishi corresponding with each of his claws. With a feral, angry glare on his face, Grimmjow roared, "This is my ultimate technique! This is the end for you, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

Frowning, the Quincy looked down at the Reishi sword before holding it behind him and raising his left hand to his face. The Reishi began to flare wildly as he gritted his teeth and grounded out, "Getsuga..."

_Grimmjow's eyes widened as he sliced into his palm and held his hand up. As blue energy began to gather in his hand, he smirked and yelled, "This is it, Kurosaki! This is the ultimate Cero! Gran Rey Cero!"_

_ He began laughing wildly as he launched the blast towards his enemy, who simply raised his hand and blocked the blast. With a simple flexing of his fingers, the Cero dissipated and Grimmjow found himself locking eyes with the Soul Reaper. His own eyes widened as he suddenly struck across his chest by the other's blade, sending him dropping out of the sky with the Soul Reaper following behind him. As he fell through the sky, he felt his Resurreccion fade away from his body._

_ The two crashed into the ground, creating quakes and craters where they crouched. Grimmjow growled, "There's no way I'm going to lose to you, Kurosaki!"_

_ "It's useless!"_

_ Grimmjow roared as he dove towards the man with Pantera poised to strike. The other caught the blade within his left hand's grasp and applied pressure to it, crushing it between his fingers. The Espada watched in horror as the man raised his Zanpakuto with his right hand._

_ "...Burn... Engetsu..."_

_ His eyes closed slightly in self-surrender as the man brought the blade down on his chest and yelled, "Getsuga...!"_

With a powerful force, Ichigo brought the mask down on his face once more and swung his blade while finishing, _**"Tensho!"**_

_'No! Not this time! I won't lose to that punk shit!'_

With an equally large roar, Grimmjow slashed at the air with his claws at the same time that Ichigo swung his blade. The two powerful blasts of Reishi merged together in the room, creating a large explosion that rocketed through Las Noches.

* * *

Trivia:

-Maskieren is German for "Masking/To Mask".

-Sanitätsdienst is German for "Medical Service".

-Daten Sammler is German for "Data Gathers".

-In short, Ciara Varuton (Pronounced Key-ara) is the Mayuri/Unohana of the Stern Ritter.

-Ichigo didn't use Vollstandig at the end. You have to master it in a week (according to Uryu) in order to maximize it powers.


	21. Tercera

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

_"...ove before...was ready..."_

_ "...diot! Well...matter...got...Arran...Espa..."_

He could hear a torrent of voices raging against his ear drums. He groaned loudly as pulled himself awake, alerting the others in the medical area of the Wandenreich's hidden Hueco Mundo base. The first person to enter his vision was Bambietta, who flicked his forehead and sent him back into his bed.

"You're an idiot, you know that? I can't believe you took the glove off before you were done training with it."

Ichigo chuckled sorely as he rubbed his forehead and said, "I didn't want to lose... My Maskieren didn't work against him... It looks like it didn't work after all..."

Instead of Bambietta answering, the Stern Ritter a few feet behind her corrected, "It did... You were unconscious when I arrived, but the Espada was too weak to resist... He's been imprisoned in the Wandenreich base."

He looked behind Bambietta to see a man with dark hair and a scar upon his right lip. Befoer Ichigo could ask, he said, "Cang Du, the _'I' _of the Stern Ritter. I felt your incomplete Vollstandig and rushed over as soon as possible."

Ichigo nodded and fell back on the makeshift mattress. He frowned, feeling helpless and weak over the fact that it didn't feel like a victory... Actually, it wasn't.

"So what happens now...?"

Bambietta frowned and thumped him in the forehead, causing him to cry out, "What was that for!? That hurts, damnit!"

"What are you, stupid? The war is still going on! Just because _you're_ injured doesn't mean everything's over! As a matter of fact, I have to get going now!"

She reached over the box next to her for her cloak and snapped it on as she left the area, leaving Cang-Du and the other random injured Quincies with Ichigo. He scowled as she walked off and turned to the Stern Ritter left behind.

"...So...what are you still doing here...?"

The man blinked and simply said, "You were stupid to remove your glove before you'd have mastered it. Your injuries mean nothing to His Majesty, as you are to still participate in this war. In the meantime, while you're injured, I'm going to help you achieve Vollstandig."

_When his facial expression dropped in shock and anger, she smirked and revealed, "Your new transformation is powerful, but I'm sure Bazz-B didn't use his Vollstandig, did he?"_

_ Even without looking at him, she knew his expression was blank, so she elaborated, "Vollstandig is the ultimate transformation of a Quincy... To help with your understanding, think of a Soul Reaper's Bankai... Until you defeat him in that form, you clearly aren't ready to stand against me."_

"...So that was what that form was supposed to be?"

Cang Du blinked again and replied, "No."

As Ichigo deadpanned and scratched at his cheek, the man explained, "In order to master the Sanrei glove, you have to continuously and consistently use as much of your Reishi attacks as possible. You, however, did not train like that for a week... Therefore, when you removed your glove, all of the Vollstandig Reiatsu rebelled against you and burned your arm."

The younger Quincy nodded his understanding and looked down at his weakened body. At that time, the Stern Ritter turned on his heel and ordered, "When you are ready, meet me in the desert above these caves."

* * *

In the Fifth Tower of Las Noches, a large room contained a large opening in its wall, revealing the entirety of Las Noches and Hueco Mundo. A throne made of stone rested outside of it, overlooking the vast Hollow kingdom, and a tanned, blonde woman rested on it.

She wore a long-flowing, high-collared robe, open at the area on her chest and clasped together near her waist, and a pair of hakama similar to Grimmjow. Her gloved hands tightened on the sides of her chair as she listened to the opening and closing of a distant door.

"Lady Halibel! Lady Halibel!"

Three women hurried into the room, stopping behind her throne as they huffed in exhaustion. When the tanned woman stood to her feet, she looked over to the women, waiting for their explanations.

One woman with olive-green hair and pink eyes regained her composure and coughed into her hand, "Grimmjow... He was defeated and taken away...by the enemy..."

Tier Halibel, the former Tercera Espada and now Queen of Hueco Mundo, frowned and said, "I know... I felt his Reiatsu flash and burst during his battle, and how it faded away. It's too late for him right now..."

The shorter woman with dark-blue hair and heterochromic eyes sighed in frustration and complained, "Why the hell are these Quincy after us anyway!? What the hell have we ever done to them!?"

Halibel looked down at her feet and revealed, "If they are capturing us instead of outright killing us...its possible...that they are building an army of some sorts..."

The dark-skinned woman with dark-brown hair widened her eyes at that and said, "If someone in that army could defeat Grimmjow, then I don't see how we would help further their goals..."

"...The only reason they would need to capture us...is if the army they are contending with is twice as large as them..."

The olive-haired Arrancar scowled and looked down at her feet, mumbling, "The Soul Society..."

"...Exactly... I expect these Quincy want revenge against the Soul Reapers for that massacre two hundred years ago...and they are forcefully recruiting us for this effort."

The shorter woman growled, "Then we need to enter the fray immediately! Let these fuckers know that they aren't welcomed here!"

"No."

The three female Arrancars gasped slightly, and the short woman's eye twitched as she said, "Lady Halibel!? What the hell are you saying...!?"

"...The king is waiting for me to appear... If I appear, and he defeats me, then he lowers the morale of all of my subjects... I want you...to prepare an evacuation order for the residents here... And once the enemy breaches this sanctuary... I want you three to evacuate as well."

The dark-skinned Arrancar stared incredulously as her Queen and yelled, "You can't be serious! You have to reconsider-"

"I am, and I'm not. My order is final... I want you all to escape, and leave the last of them to me. It is likely...that this will be my final battle, but do not let the dream of Hueco Mundo escape your grasp...! You three...are the only ones capable of bringing the sunlight of Las Noches to the darkness of Hueco Mundo..."

When the women stood there in dumb silence, Halibel reiterated, "My order is absolute. Leave me be."

As the three woman filed out of the throne room, emptier and more worried than when they entered, Halibel sighed and fell back against her throne and waited... They would reach this room in a few days, so she had enough time to-

"...How noble of you, Halibel, to become the last stand of Hueco Mundo."

The Espada's eyes slowly opened and she whispered, "I didn't expect you to be back so soon... I thought you would have stayed behind in the Human World..."

The voiced echoed from the shadows of her throne room, "And leave my home? Impossible... I may not have appreciated Aizen, but these Arrancars and Hollows are just as much mine than they are yours."

Halibel hmph'ed before slumping her shoulders against her throne. She called out, "Will you stay behind and defend Las Noches as well...? You too should escape..."

"...Must I repeat myself? You wish for me to leave my home and surrender it to these Quincy? Not a chance, Halibel... The two of us should be enough to take that man down..."

Halibel frowned and said, "Their king? I doubt it... Somehow, I expect he's on the same level as Aizen and that old man..."

"Wasn't that what we were training for these past couple of years? In the case that Aizen breaks out from the Soul Society and come back, we would defeat him ourselves?"

The Queen of Hueco Mundo sighed tiredly and said, "But somehow... I fear he may be more than that... Regardless, I'm glad you decided to stay with me... If that _man's_ son is truly part of this invasion...then I need you to hold him off..."

The shadowy figure bowed and said, " Then I shall..."

* * *

"This training is probably the simplest training you shall ever commit to... At least in theory, that is..."

When Ichigo raised an eyebrow, Cang Du elaborated, "You have continuously fire arrows and exhaust your Reiryoku before allowing it to build back up... Then rinse and repeat... Simple, but exhausting."

With that in mind, Ichigo shrugged and summoned his four-pronged Ginrei Kojaku and began firing it off into the distance as the Stern Ritter watched.

It wasn't until later that Cang Du, normally calm and composed, couldn't help but twitch an eye as Ichigo was still firing off arrows for five hours straight without passing out.

"I see you too have discovered the never-ending hole of energy that is Ichigo. Such a simple task of shooting arrows will have you all standing out here for hours."

Cang Du looked over his shoulder as Bambietta marched up to them, her cloak torn in several different places. He grunted and turned back, noticing that Ichigo had begun to show signs of exhaustion, though very little. He sighed and turned his head over his shoulder, calling out, "Man, this is boring... Isn't there some other way?"

At that, Bambietta's expression shifted to one of glee as she slyly suggested, "Well... Maybe it'll be better if I force you to exhaustion?"

Her smirk widened when a Heilig Pfeil flew by her face, lightly grazing her cheek and drawing blood. Cang Du's expression fell blank as he mumbled, "I don't think this is a good idea..."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as the girl drew her Spirit Weapon and mumbled, "...You know what... I'll take you up on that offer, Bambietta... But you should know...that it won't end the same way as last time..."

"That's the whole point, Kurosaki...! If you didn't prosper from your any of your training whatsoever, then I would've killed you long ago!"

* * *

"...So how was he, Quilge? You too disobeyed the order to leave him be."

Quilge bowed in front of Yhwach and said, "Only in your interests, Your Majesty... But from witnessing his battle... I believe he shall be ready at the end of this invasion..."

Yhwach nodded and stood from his throne. He stepped closer to the communications section of the cave and stared at the screen depicting Ichigo's battle with the recently captured Espada.

"Keep an eye on him for now, Quilge... As soon as his training is done, I shall place my feet upon this soil of war and end this with my very own hands."

The Stern Ritter nodded and turned to leave the area. Yhwach watched him fade from his view before turning back to the screen. He rubbed at his chin as he noted Grimmjow's weakening form collapsing upon Cang Du's entrance.

"...You seem to surprise me more and more, Ichigo Kurosaki... With each passing moment, I'm becoming more impressed by your will to defy all odds... But your loyalties still lie else where... Tis' a shame..."

* * *

It had been a few days of fighting with Bambietta and Cang Du that the glove became only a minor hindrance to Ichigo's powers. By the end of the week, he felt that he continue the invasion.

At this moment, Ichigo was marching behind Yhwach alongside Askin Nakk le Vaar, whom he discovered to be the _'D' _Stern Ritter. Back in the Fifth Tower once more, they, along with several other Soldat, was infiltrating the highest throne room where the Queen resided.

"...Tier Halibel's assistants, the Tres Bestias, are most likely in this room. While I finish the Queen, I want you both to take care of them. They were mere Fraccion, so they shouldn't cause too much of a problem for either of you."

Both nodded at Yhwach's orders and stopped as they arrived at the large opening. At the end of the long hallway sat the throne, overlooking the large opening. While Ichigo grimaced at its plain appearance, a deep, feminine voice echoed through the room.

"...You appear different from the other Quincies, invader... You must be the leader of this insolent army."

Yhwach stopped in his tracks and retorted, "That I am. I see that you'd rather watch your army's demise from this rather large opening than help them."

Again, the woman called out, "You're mistaken. I have sent my army away... The only Arrancar you fought were those willing to die for their kind. Those like me."

Ichigo watched as the blonde hair and tanned skin of the Queen emerged from the front of the throne. She turned towards their direction and revealed her face to them, though the bottom half was covered up. Her green eyes locked onto Ichigo's before she turned back to Yhwach and reached towards her throne.

He watched in odd fascination as her hand slipped through the throne as if it had no existence and pulled out a short, hollowed broadsword.

Her lips parted slightly as she whispered, "...Destr-"

She was interrupted by a large, war-like scream as a trio of shadowy figures crashed through the ceiling. Her right eye began twitching as she mumbled, "You've got to be kidding me... Apacci, Mila, Sung-Sun! I told you all to leave!"

The three figures landed in front of her, all of them poised and ready to battle. The dark-skinned woman turned towards the Queen and apologized, "I'm sorry, Lady Halibel... But this is our home, too! And as your loyal subjects, abandoning our Queen...would the ultimate shame!"

The shorter one with the heterochromic eyes and fragment helmet agreed, "What milk-tits said!"

The third one with the olive-green hair reached her left arm out and said, "Forgive us for what will happen to Las Noches..."

Next to Ichigo, Askin blanched as the three girls ripped off their left arms and asked, "What the hell are they doin'?"

"Quimera Parca!"

Ichigo too wondered the same thing until the arms glowed a bright right as they came together. With an expression of wonder and amazement, he watched as the light extended higher and higher towards the ceiling. The light finally stopped as it reached the top and formed a human-like shape beneath it.

When it finally cleared, it revealed a large beast with a white deer skull on its face. Its pale skin was covered in light-brown furs and his head was covered in a shaggy mane of dark-brown hair. A long, snake-like tail weaved back and forth as it stared down at the Quincy.

The short one known as Apacci hopped on the shoulders of the being and laughed as she said, "Fuck that Aizen-lookalike up!"

Ichigo had the certain urge to scream "Godzilla!", but held it back as he crouched over and prepared to fight. Reaching for the blade on the side of his waist, he moved to dash forward and attack before a shadow moved in front of him and grabbed his face.

"...Not so fast."

Yhwach and Askin quickly turned in surprise as the speeding figure grabbed Ichigo and push him up towards the ceiling. The King's eyes narrowed and he yelled, "Soldat! After him!"

* * *

The large explosions of the skirmish breaking out in the throne room began to fade as he found himself looking into the night sky of Hueco Mundo. The figure appeared in front of him again and punched him towards the ground.

Easily recovering, Ichigo flipped into a crouched stance as he slid away from the attacker. He rose to his feet as the other inched their way closer.

"So you are the one who defeated Grimmjow... Surprising... He was one of the few remaining Espada from that war such a short time ago..."

Ichigo dusted his cloak off and grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I didn't come here to hear your grandma tales... I'm guessing you're stronger than he was, right?"

As moonlight illuminated the female, revealing the greenish-blue hair and horned skull fragment on her head. She wore a long robe like the queen herself, though its sleeves were large and bell-like, similar to the Soul Reapers. Unlike them, her pants were form fitting.

Doing all he can to ignore the mounds below her chin, he stared at her face as she looked to the side and said, "Maybe."

"Tch, and what is that supposed to mean? Are you stronger than him or not...?"

She sighed and said, "Grimmjow, Lady Halibel, and myself are the only _true_ Espada that remains, and the only ones who've kept our old ranks... The so-called Espada that you've all fought were simply powerful Arrancar, and were never ranked. Grimmjow held the title of Sexta... The sixth... And Halibel held the title of Tercera, the third."

"...And you? Who are you supposed to be?"

She turned and unclothed her robe. Ichigo wondered why she had turned her back to him until her sleeveless undershirt was revealed, which was backless. A giant, bold-inked '_3_' rested on her back, causing his own eyes to widened out.

"...I was unfairly attacked, and lost my rank... But I've regained it after that man was locked away... I am Neliel Tu Odelschwanck, the former Tercera and the most powerful being in Las Noches other than the Queen... To answer your question, Ichigo Kurosaki, I am _far _above Grimmjow..."

She turned back to him with darkened eyes, revealing, "I intended to keep that revelation hidden from you... I didn't want you lose hope before this fight even _began_..."

* * *

Notes:

-I definitely didn't intend for this chapter to take so long to come out, but my focuses have been elsewhere.

-This Arc has maybe five chapters left, maybe shorter. The ending might answer some questions about what has happened in the past prior to recent events and give light to where the story is going to end up.


	22. Shake the Heavens 3: Suriel

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

Askin sighed and said, "I give up... I don't wanna fight this thing. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but can I-?"

"End that monster and the three Fraccion _now_. We'll worry about Ichigo Kurosaki later."

The Stern Ritter deadpanned as Yhwach motioned towards the large monster, which glared down at him with a heated gaze. He later realized that it was actually its Cero, which flashed down towards him with a flaring red color.

Eyes still locked with Halibel's, Yhwach ignored the Cero as it tossed up his cape. The woman held out her own sword and repeated her phrase from earlier, "Destroy, _Tiburon_!"

The woman was encased in a shell of water, which exploded outwards and revealed her Resurreccion form. She held a strong resemblance to an amazon with a large weapon in the shape of a shark tooth.

Smirking, the man raised his arm as she came down on him with her blade, the explosion resounding through the entire room.

* * *

"...I don't understand. You appear to be trying to come up with a strategy, but you don't have anything to go by. Are you stunned speechless, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

He wasn't. He was trying to analyze everything she told him so he could come with a way to fight her, or at least survive until Yhwach and Askin were done. The only things he knew was:

Grimmjow was the Sexta Espada... Check.

The Queen was the Tercera Espada... Check.

This woman was also the Tercera Espada before she was replaced by the Queen... Check.

She's stronger, faster, smarter, and a lot more _feminine_ than Grimmjow... Check.

Ichigo sighed and withdrew his Reishi Sword as he struggled to think of a plan of attack. Realizing that there was no possible way, he simply grumbled, "I ain't got nothing... Let's just get this over with."

Suddenly, the woman disappeared from his vision, and he raised his sword to collide with her own as she came at his side. Her expression shifted to one of slight concern as she asked, "Are you sure? I mean, if you need more time to think..."

Ichigo snarled, "Don't make fun of me!"

Neliel was sent skidding away as he pushed her back. She stood there for a moment, simply watching him. Ichigo clicked his tongue in annoyance and said, "You find something interesting?"

She simply shrugged and replied, "I was just giving you more time. I don't want to end this too quickly. That wouldn't be fair."

"...Or you're trying to waste time so I can't go back to the throne room."

The woman raised an eyebrow and giggled as she innocently stated, "If I wanted to, I could have finished you off in a second and returned to the throne room before you'd even have a chance to attack. But those are the worst kind of fights."

Ichigo had the odd feeling that she wasn't lying. That scared him way more than it should have.

"Tch, whatever. If you're just gonna sit there and make fun of me, I'll just take you down while your guard is dropped."

Neliel smirked before taking off into a dash towards Ichigo. Eyes narrowed, he poised his blade above his head to strike until a searing pain arose from his chest. Looking down, a large slash mark appeared across his ribs and chest, showering his shoes in blood.

_'I didn't... I didn't even have time to activate Blut Vene! She's way too fast!'_

Bringing his sword down, he collided with her Zanpakuto as it rebounded away from her. She leapt into the air with the grace of a dancer and planted her foot into his face, pushing him back. Using his sword to keep himself anchored, Ichigo raised his blue-tinted fist back and forced it towards the blade of Neliel as she tried to stab him.

He narrowed his eyes and venomously whispered, "Heilig Kugel."

Neliel's eyes widened as she was thrown back by the extreme force of the Cero-like blast of Reishi, giving the Quincy a bit of breathing room. He attempted to take the time to regather himself, but wasn't able to the as he heard the sound of a Sonido.

Noticing her blade out of the corner of his eye, he lifted his right arm as the blade sliced through the clothing underneath his arm. He tossed the blade to his left hand and attempted an underarm slash, which was obviously dodged as he heard the Sonido's sound again.

"How intriguing... You managed to create a technique similar to Grimmjow's."

Turning his head to the side, Ichigo frowned in her direction and questioned, "What do you mean?"

Neliel crossed her arms and stated, "Quincy are the sole natural users of Reishi... Grimmjow's Desgarron uses Reishi in the same way. Your technique is closer to that than a Cero, though I can see that you used it as a basis. I should tell you, by the way, that the technique won't work on me again."

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo pointed his sword at her. She blinked as he began rapidly firing off random patterns of Heilig Pfiel in her direction. She sighed and dashed off to the side as the holy arrows neared her and leaped off of the platform as they destroyed the edge behind her.

As Neliel free-fell from the tower of the ceiling of Las Noches, Ichigo jumped off after her with his blade pointed ahead of him. Smirking a little at the angered expression on his face, she taunted, "It's so easy to get you riled up, Ichigo Kurosaki... Maybe if you were smile and have fun more..."

"Shut up!"

Ichigo's sword clashed with her Zanpakuto. She rebounded off of his sword with laughter as she kicked off the wall and slid across the ground with Ichigo following after her. She clicked her tongue in disapproval as she dodged every one of his sweeps and strikes, annoying him the entire time.

"...It's so obvious, Ichigo Kurosaki, that you use anger to hide your fear. You're afraid of dying, and you're definitely afraid to commit to your swings... You're wondering, 'If I strike too far in, she'll counter me and kill me'. You're thinking, 'If I hold back too much, she'll go on the offensive, and she's too fast for me'. You're lamenting, 'If I make any kind of mistake, then it's all over'. Well, you see..."

On his last strike, she grabbed his blade and stabbed into his shoulder just as quickly. He didn't even have enough time to feel the pain, let alone scream.

"The mistake you've made was being afraid to make a mistake... It's over."

Neliel's brows furrowed as she was unable to pull her blade from his shoulder. Looking down, she noticed that he had grabbed it, and she suddenly realized that he was smirking as he reared his hand back.

"No, the mistake you made was thinking that fear was holding me back. I'm always afraid of dying, and that's what keeps me going. I don't give a shit if you're stronger than me... If I have to fight you, then that's what I'll do!"

She frowned and repeated, "I told you... That technique won't work a second time..."

Ignoring her, Ichigo brought his fist towards her face, screaming out "Heilig Kugel!"

Neliel raised her hand as the beam of Reishi pushed her back quite a distance. Eventually, Ichigo noticed that beam had completely stopped. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, he watched as she opened her mouth with her tongue out. His eye began twitching in disbelief as he realized what she was doing.

_'She's... She's eating my attack!? What the hell!?'_

A large gulping sound resonated through the clearing as Neliel finished absorbing the attack and stared at Ichigo while wagging her finger.

"...I told you... That attack won't work again... Hollows breathe in Reishi, and your attack is composed of nothing more than that... This technique is actually stronger than one from an average Arrancar, thanks to that fact... Now you're done for!"

She reared back with her mouth wide open and launched forward, releasing a large Cero combined with the Reishi of Ichigo's technique. His eyes widened as the blast edged closer, far too fast for him to dodge.

* * *

"Oi, Your Majesty! The kid's getting owned up there. You sure you don't want me to rescue him now?"

Askin stood in the back of the room with a worn down Apache over his shoulder. After he had quickly put down the large monster that was Ayon, he stayed out of Yhwach's way as the man simply wasted time playing around with Halibel. The Quincy Monarch frowned as he leaped out of Halibel's next strike and landed next to the Stern Ritter.

"...Not until he has exhausted all of his resources. When that time comes, we will finish this... Now we better move to the next room before she floods this area."

* * *

Neliel watched as the explosion erupted into the night sky of Hueco Mundo. After a moment of silence, she sighed and moved to sheathe her Zanpakuto. She turned around took a step forward before she heard coughing from inside the flashing light.

**"...Who...said we were done? I still got some energy to burn."**

She turned on her feet as she noticed the shadowy silhouette in the epicenter. Its eyes began glowing a bright blue hue as a large roar was emitted from the center, blowing away the Cero's remnants.

Neliel narrowed her eyes and murmured, "...So this is the famed mask I've been hearing about."

Ichigo stood valiantly as the bright-blue Reishi mask covered his face. His pale-blue eyes, illuminating even more thanks to his darkened scelera, narrowed as he said, **"It seems that this mask has more of a rep than I do... Maybe I need to try a little harder."**

"Maybe you should."

Ichigo took that as queue to launch an attack as he dashed forward with his sword, taking a swing at her head. She ducked, but caught his knee as he sent reeling back. She recovered easily by flipping as she did so, landing on her feet.

She wiped at her bloody nose and said, "Well, this is definitely an upgrade. I can no longer sense the fear in all of your attacks... You're trying to end this match too quickly."

**"It's a recurring trend in all of these Quincies... They hate fighting battles that drag out for too long... It's not their style."**

Neliel smirked and said, "That's too bad... Cause we Hollows like for our matches to last as long as possible!"

**"...So you enjoy fighting to the death?"**

The Arrancar blinked and admitted, "Not particularly... But you can't deny that this is the most fun you've had all day, right?"

Ichigo deadpanned as he stared at the innocent, gleeful expression on her face.

_'She's quite a reasonable Arrancar, like Gantenbainne... But sometimes, she acts like a total child...'_

**"Yeah, whatever..."**

She sighed at his typical response and appeared above him in a flash of Sonido. Seeing her incoming attacks much easier, Ichigo was able to fully block and counter instead of being overwhelmed. As she was kicked away, she slapped her hand onto the ground as he followed after her.

Using an awkward cartwheel flip, she was able to dodge his next swing and land an incredibly hard kick against his mask, which was clearly felt as he could feel the cracks appearing in the bottom of his mask.

_'Damn... I'm losing my advantage...!'_

As he slid back, he grabbed his sword with both of his hands as he began to charge it with Reishi. Neliel landed back on her feet as she stared at him.

_'...Is he copying Grimmjow's Desgarron?'_

**"Getsuga Tensho!"**

Neliel's eyes widened as the Quincy swung his Spirit Weapon, releasing the large wave of Reishi. The arced, crescent-like strike narrowed as it soared through the air like an arrowhead towards her. Ichigo watched with fascinated eyes as the woman simply stood there and took the blast head on.

_'Odd... I imagined that she would have dodged that one...'_

"Did Grimmjow tell you the name of that attack?"

Ichigo froze and turned around quickly as Neliel stood by while staring at him with a completely serious expression on her face.

_'There's no way... There's no way in hell that she could have simply appeared behind me like that without me sensing it!'_

**"N-No! I-I learned it from my old man..."**

After hearing that, she mumbled something incomprehensible and turned away from him. However, he was able to understand the word "Isshin". He frowned and reached out to grab her, though she simply deflected his hand and used Sonido to move away.

"And what the hell does my dad have to do with this? Why do you Espada know about my father!?"

Neliel narrowed her eyes and snarled, "It appears I was mistaken about you... You've known about him all this time... In that case, there's no point in holding back anymore. From this point on, Ichigo Kurosaki, I will deliver killing blows only. You're dead to us."

Ichigo frowned in confusion as he heard the betrayal clear and evident in her voice.

**"What the hell!? What are you talking about!?"**

The woman said nothing as she raised her blade forward. Ichigo watched as it began glowing a pinkish-violet hue as her Reiatsu was being released full throttle, causing him to cover his face as the rocks and dust from the roof began smacking him.

"..._Declare_..._**Gamuza**_!"

The pink Reiatsu exploded outwards, throwing him off of his feet and sending him flying away from the sheer force of her release. As he flipped and stabbed his blade into the ground to keep his balance, the light began to ease up.

While the top half of her body was simply covered in bone-like armor and a newly-made helmet, it was relatively unchanged as opposed to her bottom half, which had the form of a light-tan horse with a black tail. The centaur mistress's back legs began clapping against the roof in anger as she growled at Ichigo.

"As I've stated, this is the end, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Soon, all of Neliel's hooves were clapping against the ground as she dashed off towards Ichigo with her heavy lance. Completely shocked, he was barely able to do anything as the lance was jousted towards him. He raised his blade to block as she clapped even harder against the ground, pushing him back as he attempted to hold his ground.

"It's futile. I'll end this in an instant!"

Suddenly, the lance broke through his blade and stabbed into his abdomen, though she didn't stop there. She lifted him up with it and held him in front of her as she continued to gallop forward. Building after building pounded against Ichigo's back until she finally stopped, causing him to eject from the lance and roll against the ground, unable to pull himself to his feet.

While he attempted to pick himself up, Neliel reared back with her lance. He was able to look up as her hind hooves stomped the ground in excitement and her left hand blocked most of his sight of her expressionless visage.

"_Lanzador Verde._"

With the strength of an Olympic athlete, she threw the lance towards him. It spun and twisted in the air, gathering Reiatsu as it edged its way closer to Ichigo and struck him in his chest, lifting him off of the ground and sending him flying back. The green-hair of the Espada appeared to have become more faint as he traveled an epic distance away from her, and everything began to fade to black.

* * *

_**As I free fall...**_

_ How long has it been... Days? Months? Could be years... The only thing he knew was that he continuously falling..._

** The silence in this hole is deafening... A muted, cold abyss...**

_ Just a continuous path of darkness... Nothingness... It felt...perfect_

** But oddly enough...I feel no fear...**

_ Like... I belong here... In this emptiness... I understand..._

** I'm at ease...confident someone will find me...**

_ What is that white light...? Haunting...jaws wide... That light opens its jaws to me...and prepares to swallow me whole... I realize..._

** But... Who?**

_ I am nothing..._

_**"Kurosaki."**_

_ He felt something pull him back from the 'light'. Was he going to fall into insanity again...?_

_**"I've got you. You aren't going anywhere."**_

_ He tried to arch his neck so he could see who was pulling him away... Away from the blissful light._

_**"I've finally gotten rid of it, and you want to go back down that damned road? Like hell, Kurosaki."**_

_The figure that had grabbed him seemed to be much than he was originally placed. The tattered, long-flowing white robe of the figure gave him an ominous appearance, much more sinister than even the light itself. Coupled with the dark fur collar and wrist cuffs, Ichigo preferred the light than this person._

_**"...Did you not hear me? I've finally broken down that thing's consciousness from your Reiatsu. You really want to give it control again?"**_

_His eyes furrowed, as the being never turned around so he could see his face._

_ "Who...are you?"_

_**"...Me? Look at your hands, idiot."**_

_When Ichigo did so, the symbol of the Wandenreich shone clearly through the darkness of its background. As he stared at the Sanrei glove, the spider-like clawed hand of the figure grabbed his wrist._

_**"Take the damn glove off, unless you're still gonna give yourself up to that thing. The point of Sklavarei is to enslave, not be enslaved. You're hopeless, Kurosaki."**_

_The person reminded him of someone, but it felt so long ago. Who was he...?_

___Eventually, the person became more annoyed by the second and pulled the glove off._

___**"Imbecile. Thank me later when you survive."**_

___"...You...still haven't told me who you are."_

___ The figure slightly craned his neck to gaze at Ichigo from the corner of his eye. The pale-blue hue of his eyes shone over his shoulder._

___**"...My name? You can call me..."**_

* * *

Neliel was uncomfortably confused. The pink explosion from her Lanzador Verde suddenly began changing to a shade of violet. Eventually, the blue-tinted Reiatsu overwhelmed the pink, forming a towering column of energy in the shape of a Quincy Cross that lit up the night sky.

Slowly, as if it were fragile glass, the cross began breaking apart, slowly collapsing back onto the bottom. A shadowy form still hovered in the air well above her as the energy faded away and she finally stared at Ichigo as the blue flames danced across the ruins and towers of the roof.

His body was covered in segmented glowing armor, the most obvious features being the ribcage-shaped armor and the belt with the symbol of a hooked cross. On his neck was a large collar made of Reishi, from which the four pointed wings emerged.

In his right hand he wielded a large curved sword, like an oversized cleaver. At the bottom near the hilt, two hollowed openings was etched into the blade.

Ichigo looked down at her, feeling a lot more powerful than before. It was clear that the mistake he had made during his battle with Grimmjow had been rectified with this new form. As Neliel narrowed her eyes at him, he parted his lips barely, and whispered the name he had remembered.

_ "____Quincy, Vollstandig_... ___**Suriel**__."_

* * *

Trivia:

-Suriel is Hebrew theophory meaning, "Moon of God".

-Ichigo's Vollstandig weapon is the same as his new Zangetsu(The one that represents the Hollow/Soul Reaper). It has two hallowed openings instead of one.

-The person that Ichigo speaks to is neither Zangetsu(Quincy) nor Zangetsu(Hollow Ichigo). It's someone completely different.


	23. Watch the Throne 2: Declare

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

Neliel's front legs reared up in disapproval as the Lanzador Verde stabbed into the ground in front of her. She reached for it and grabbed it before turning back to Ichigo, who began to descend softly to the ground.

"You really think you're something, huh, Ichigo Kurosaki? This changes nothing."

Ichigo pointed the tip of his large blade towards her. From the two hollowed openings, two beams of light arced out at forty-five degree angles. The tips of the beams stopped just short of passing the actual blade, and then curved inwards towards the sharp tip of the blade, giving it the appearance of a crossbow.

"Getsuga..."

The curved edge of the makeshift crossbow began glowing intensely as he charged up his technique. Neliel's eyes widened and she shifted her body into a position to throw her lance at him. Both of the combatants knew, however, that the hastily thrown lance wouldn't compare to Ichigo's next attack.

"_Tensho_."

With that simple phrase, a beam in the shape of the crossbow's arc soared across the clearing. The poorly tossed weapon was knocked out of the way, and Neliel's eyes twitched as she found herself face-to-face with the beam of light.

Ichigo watched with disinterest as the gloriously bright explosion lit up the night sky. His eyes narrowed as he turned around, seeing the heavily wounded Neliel panting behind him as she barely managed to escape the blast radius. Tinged skin was patched across her furred lower half, and most of her skull helmet was broken into several fragments.

"...I saw your Sonido from a mile away. Are you, perhaps, moving slower for my own sake, Neliel?"

Her own brows furrowed in an unamused manner, but she kept quiet as she retrieved her lance.

"...Or maybe...I've become faster than you?"

She stayed silent as she positioned herself into a fighting stance. Quickly, Ichigo turned his blade towards her as the Crossbow shape lit up again.

"Silber Bolzen!"

From the sword, he fired a rain of crossbow bolts towards the Arrancar, who turned in another direction and galloped across the clearing as she ran from the energy bolts. Ichigo ran alongside her as he continued firing before dashing in and slashing at her front legs.

Lifting her hooves above his blade, she slammed down on the flat side of it and twirled her lance above her head, preparing to bring it down over his head.

_ ...I don't understand..._

Ichigo used his hand to catch it before it struck, Blut Vene keeping it from damaging him too much. He pushed away from it, sliding on the ground as he pulled his blade from under her feet. As he held his blade behind him, Neliel noticed that the nearby ruins began breaking down into Reishi and becoming a part of the sword.

He reared his blade back as he prepared to dash forward with a lunging attack, screaming out, "_Heilig Kugel!_"

Gripping her weapon tightly with her left hand, Neliel's entire lance began glowing with pink Reiatsu. The same Reiatsu moved to her right hand, covering it as she balled her fist up.

_ ...Ichigo Kurosaki, your lie holds too much weight..._

Just as Ichigo's sword neared her, she punched her balled-up fist forward to strike against his sword, gritting her teeth as she took the attack full force, but was able to hold it back. The Quincy's eyes widened as some of his attack was drawn away from her fist towards her lance.

"_Legionaria_."

Because he was busy clashing with her fist, he was unable to dodge or block the incoming thrust, empowered by both his own enslaved Reishi and her Reiatsu, and was sent reeling back by the force.

_ ...Why would you...abandon everything that he stood for...?_

The Reishi wings on his back pointed in the direction that he was soaring and burst into flames, charging themselves to full throttle with the added Reishi from the atmosphere. As if he was wearing a jet-pack, he blasted forward and pushed against the Reiatsu from Neliel's attack, finally managing to throw it off course into the open desert.

The significant explosion surely caused a ruckus back at the Quincy's headquarters because Ichigo could feel the rumbling shock wave from his position, forcing Las Noches to witness the magnificent earthquake.

Ichigo removed his hands from the front of his face as he admired, "That was kinda dangerous... You weren't lying when you said that you could end me in a second..."

As opposed to her earlier taunts, Neliel's quiet demeanor slightly worried him. The only thing she did was narrowed her eyes in determination and raised her hand.

_...I'll just have to...stop you... He would have wanted me to._

Ichigo moved out of the way as she raised her hand, assuming that she was going to attack with a Cero or some other technique. However, instead, the eyes of the fragmented skull on her head began glowing red, along with her hooves.

"...Unlike most Espada, I have powers beyond normal Arrancar comprehension... Surely you've understood by now what it is... Or have your transformation blinded you to everything around you?"

Ichigo's brows furrowed in confusion until she explained, "My command says it all... _Declare_... To acknowledge possession of something... Do you understand what that means...?"

Neliel placed her lance over her shoulder as she finished with a growl, "I understand your Vollstandig, and its abilities to possess and declare control over Reishi... However, you are in my domain. The domain of Gamuza rejects all form of Soul Abilities by absorbing it and adding it my own Reiatsu... Even a mere Hollow such as myself could outdo you in your own game, Quincy!"

_"Getsuga Tensho."_

_ With that simple phrase, a beam in the shape of the crossbow's arc soared across the clearing. The poorly tossed weapon was knocked out of the way, and Neliel's eyes twitched as she found herself face-to-face with the beam of light._

_ She opened her mouth wide as the blast crashed into her. Though she was forced to undergo the pain of being mostly hit, she was able to absorb most of it before she disappeared from its trajectory._

_ Ichigo watched with disinterest as the gloriously bright explosion lit up the night sky. His eyes narrowed as he turned around, seeing the heavily wounded Neliel panting behind him as she barely managed to escape the blast radius. Tinged skin was patched across her furred lower half, and most of her skull helmet was broken into several fragments._

Ichigo huffed in annoyance as he realized that she hadn't barely dodged any of his attacks at all... She had mostly _absorbed _all of them...

_Just as Ichigo's sword neared her, she punched her balled-up fist forward to strike against his sword, gritting her teeth as she took the attack full force, but was able to hold it back. The Quincy's eyes widened as some of his attack was drawn away from her fist towards her lance._

_ "**Legionaria**."_

_ Because he was busy clashing with her fist, he was unable to dodge or block the incoming thrust, empowered by both his own enslaved Reishi and her Reiatsu, and was sent reeling back by the force._

_ The Reishi wings on his back pointed in the direction that he was soaring and burst into flames, charging themselves to full throttle with the added Reishi from the atmosphere. As if he was wearing a jet-pack, he blasted forward and pushed against the Reiatsu from Neliel's attack, finally managing to throw it off course into the open desert._

Ichigo gritted his teeth as he thought to himself, _'I wasn't able to use the full powers of these wings until I was able to get away from her... But I can't get too far away, or I lose all effectiveness with my attacks...'_

Her back hooves clapped against the ground as she prepared to dash off towards him.

_'If I use Hirenkyaku to get closer... Her Gamuza's Reiatsu will keep it from being effective... Like when I tried to move in earlier... Her Reiatsu slowed me down and gave her the chance to stop my attack...'_

_ Ichigo ran alongside her as he continued firing before dashing in and slashing at her front legs._

_ Lifting her hooves above his blade, she slammed down on the flat side of it and twirled her lance above her head, preparing to bring it down over his head._

Ichigo frowned as he realized his last option, and now understood why she was now releasing his absorbed Reishi on herself.

_'...All this time, she had been stealing my powers to strengthen herself to prepare...for the moment I realized that I'd have to fight her without using any of my flowing Reishi techniques... A sword fight plain and true... Goddamnit, I can't believe she's **still** a step ahead of me!'_

Neliel was confused when he hefted his sword on his shoulder and began chuckling as he announced, "Alrighty, then! If it's a fight you want, then you'll get it! You better get ready to rumble, Espada!"

As soon as he took dashing with a loud, war-like scream, she did the same and galloped towards the climax of this entire battle.

* * *

Yhwach's cloak elegantly flowed behind him as he dodged another strike from the Queen of Hueco Mundo. The hallway that she had led them to had begun to flood, causing them to move to another room. Askin groaned as he and the Monarch flipped onto a pillar, snarling at his soaked cape.

"Is she trying to lead us to a trap...? You'd have thought she would have activated it while we were marching up here!"

The other man eyed Askin out of the corner of his eye and calmly stated, "No. She's not trying to trap us. She commands everything inside of that water... She was saving her Fraccion from us."

Even though his calm facade gave away nothing, Askin still felt the accusations in his King's words. Earlier on, he had dropped Apacci into the water in order to escape after she flooded the hallway to the throne room. All of the Soldat drowned in aftermath.

"Anyways, it seems that Ichigo Kurosaki's match is coming to a close. It's time for us to finish this up."

Askin watched as Yhwach leaped off of the pillar onto the ground, right in front of the incoming torrent of water. With wide eyes, he watched as the man simply waved his hand caused the water to simply split as it passed him by like a rock in a river.

The Stern Ritter deadpanned, "...You mean he really could have done that this entire time?"

Halibel, completely shocked as Yhwach stood in front of her, towering over her smaller form. Enraged, she began swinging wildly at him, though he dodged each of her attacks. With a loud roar, she swung her blade towards his head.

Yhwach smirked as he raised his hand to simply catch it, resulting in a large shock wave that resonated behind him. With his left hand, he reared back and pushed against her chest, sending her flying back into the barricade door. She crashed against it painfully, and gasped as a number of Heilig Pfiel embedded themselves into her body, followed by her own sword.

The man leered over her as she slumped against the wall, all consciousness leaving her. He looked over his shoulder at Askin and motioned to the fallen Queen.

"Return her to HQ. I will return with Ichigo Kurosaki."

Askin watched as Yhwach marched past him determinedly as he moved towards the signals of the fading Reiatsu. He sighed and turned back to the woman before removing her sword slowly from her body.

* * *

"Yaaagghhh!"

It was indeterminable by which of the two was screaming, but it mattered very little as they clashed again. Using his own natural speed, Ichigo slipped past her lance and thrust his sword towards her, only nicking the side of her abdomen as she shifted her body to her right.

"Latigo!"

Moving her hind quarters in Ichigo's direction, she then lashed her tail out like a whip, barely missing Ichigo as he hopped above her. He gripped his sword with both of his hands as he attempted an overhead strike, which was again blocked by her lance.

Ichigo frowned as he imagined, _'I just need to get her with a single strike... Once I hit her, I can finish her off with a powerful move...without it being absorbed by her!'_

Neliel narrowed her eyes as she realized, _'He won't use his Blut Vene as long as he's near me... because he doesn't want me to absorb it if I strike him... While his defenses are down, I'll go on the offensive!'_

Both of the two gritted their teeth as they thought at the same time, _'The first one to land a direct hit...will end this entirely!'_

She pushed him away and pulled back to throw her lance at him. As he smacked it away, she moved to its landing position and quickly retrieved it before twirling it around, charging in for a finishing thrust before Ichigo had any time to land.

"I've got you! There's no escape!"

Time seemed to slow down as the scenario repeated itself multiple times in Ichigo's brain. But the finishing blow wouldn't be dealt to him. As he landed on the ground, he grabbed the round center of the lance with his arm, trapping Neliel and surprising her. Even as he felt the blood dripping from underneath his arm, he knew that it was over.

"...Took the words right outta my mouth."

Neliel jaws dropped with a hitched gasp of pain as Ichigo brought his blade down on her shoulder. Stopping it right before it could get too far into her skin, he murmured forcefully, "Getsuga Tensho...!"

Just as before, the blue flash of light erupted above the ceiling of Las Noches. This time, however, Ichigo knew it would be the last one. As it cleared away, the worn-down form of Neliel's original form stood in front of him.

Gamuza fell from her twitching fingers, clanging as it landed helplessly on the ground. She stumbled forward, she reached her hand out to him, much to his own confusion. Suddenly, she collapsed against him, bringing both of them on their knees as she fell against his shoulder.

She panted heavily as she barely managed to breathe out, "...I don't...understand... Why would you...? Why would...?"

Ichigo frowned as he listened to her last words, waiting for her to finish. However, she never did, causing him to bow his head in silence. After a moment of quiet reflection, Ichigo mumbled, "You said that Hollows enjoy lengthy battles that push them to their limits... I've never felt closer to one than in this battle..."

As he deactivated his Vollstandig, he moved his arms under her knees and picked her up as he slowly rose from his crouch. The lonesome winds of the deserted world blow across his form and chilling his bones as he slowly walked away.

"...I guess I'll take you back to base... Maybe you co-"

He was suddenly cut off as she burst into smoke, causing him to drop her and hack up a storm as he inhaled it. Ichigo waved away the smoke as he peered down into it, looking down at the tiny silhouette also coughing as he did.

"Meehh..."

As the smoke cleared, he found himself staring down a particularly tiny, child-like Arrancar dressed in a white robe that was a little too big for their own body. However, he was still able to recognize the similar, but smaller features that gave away the Arrancar's identity, causing his jaws to drop.

"Da fuck...?"

Large, gray orbs, similar to the ones on the face of Orihime, peeked out from behind her fingers after she yawned loudly and glared at Ichigo.

"Tch! Thanks ta big meanie Itsygo, Nel is small again!"

Ichigo blinked once...then twice...then repeated, "Da fuck!?"

"...This cannot be the same woman you defeated."

He looked to his right as Yhwach stood next to him, staring down the tiny Neliel with disbelief as well. Ichigo shrugged and said, "Yeah, this is definitely the same person... The skull, the mark on her face, and the hair tells it all."

The child-like being stood on her tiny feet and flailed her arms around as she screamed, "Stop talkin' like Nel ain't here! I's right here and I can hear ya!"

Yhwach frowned and then lightly tapped her with his foot, sending her back onto the ground with a groan she was still in pain from her earlier battle. When Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the King, he frowned and said, "I thought it would return her to her former state. She had to be quite powerful for an Espada, possibly more so than the Queen."

"...Tch, maybe we should have switched places then. I probable would've preferred the Queen."

The man's brows furrowed even deeper as he raised his finger and sighed, "Well... She's completely useless if she can't return to her former state."

Neliel's body began shivering as she coward under the shining blue light of Reishi. Ichigo blinked in disbelief as he witnessed the scene and protested, "Woah, hold up a second! You seriously can't be thinking of killing a child, are you!?"

"...And you think the woman who forced you to transform is a mere child?"

Ichigo tripped over his words as he yelled, "But-I- That's not the point! Maybe if we give her time, I can figure out how to reverse her! She obviously hasn't forgotten anything, so maybe she knows how to reverse herself!"

It seemed Yhwach took a second to think over his words as he moved his finger away from Nel, who began to open her eyes after the blinding light left her. He looked back at Ichigo and said, "Well, if you really want to keep her so badly, then you're responsible for her... Return to base immediately, as this invasion is over."

He turned away and began to walk off before fading into the darkness of Hueco Mundo. Ichigo watched him for a few seconds before he felt something tug on his leg. He looked down as Neliel sat next to his foot and mumbled, "Not tryin' ta sound mean... but why'd ja...help me?"

He turned towards the direction that Yhwach left in and shrugged as he answered, "I don't really know... But I just felt...that I couldn't sit here and let that happen."

Nel's eyes widened as stared at him, and Ichigo was replaced by another person in her vision.

_She tugged on the ragged white cape and asked, "Not tryin' ta sound mean... but why'd ja...help me?"_

_ The dark-haired man scratched his stubble as he turned away and answered, "I don't really know... But I just felt...that I couldn't sit here and let that happen."_

Nel blinked as she literally pulled out of her memory as Ichigo picked her up by the collar of her robe and placed her on his shoulder. The teenager sighed and said, "...I guess we're heading back to base... Just stay with me... Don't want any other Quincy to attack you."

As he walked off, she stared at the side of his face in wonder and amazement before a small smile graced her features.

_'Guess Nel was wrong 'bout 'em, huh, Mr. Ithsin...? He ain't that different from ya after all...'_

* * *

Gina blinked in disinterest as she stared at Ichigo and his 'sidekick' and murmured, "...You took a souvenir home with you, Young Master?"

Ichigo scratched his cheek awkwardly as he turned away from his attendant and mumbled, "I couldn't let her go with the other Arrancar... The Quincies would harass and torment her..."

Nel leaped onto Ichigo's head and shouted, "Itsygo just thinks I'm a wuss, and that I can't protect myself! I told him that a lil' pain might be fun!"

Even under her emotionless facade that she kept up so well, Ichigo could tell that Gina wanted to laugh. In annoyance, he flicked the young Nel in her head and sent her to the ground.

"So how did it go, Young Master?"

As Nel wandered aimlessly around the room and admired everything, Ichigo kicked back on his special couch and said, "Just a couple of fights here and there... Well, actually two, since I was out for most of the week trying to learn Vollstandig... After that, he left Quilge and the rest of the Jagdarmee in Hueco Mundo to clean up and recruit any leftovers that we didn't capture."

He ignored the sound of Nel's angry huffing as he sunk into the cushions of his seat. He didn't agree with the invasion either, but protesting against it would do him no good.

Unexpectedly, Ichigo and Nel jumped slightly as the woman gasped and joyously screamed out, "You've learned Vollstandig? That's good news! I should te-!"

Upon realizing that the two other occupants stared at her in confusion, and stopping herself from finishing her sentence, she coughed into her hand and mumbled, "I mean... That's great, Young Master. I'm proud of you."

Suddenly, Gina found her space being invaded as the child appeared on the table in front of her, and she leaned back as Nel leaned closer to her, narrowing her eyes in a suspicious manner.

"...Not sure if ya secretly happy...or ya hiding something."

Before the woman could defend herself, a knocking sound emitted from the entrance of the room, causing all of them to turn in the direction of the door. It was pushed open, revealing Haschwalth as he stepped through.

"...His Majesty wishes to speak with you immediately, Ichigo. I suggest you head down to the throne room."

Ichigo sighed as he placed his cloak over his shoulders and stood back up. As he moved towards the door, he waved to Gina and ordered, "Keep an eye on Nel till I get back," and followed Haschwalth out of the room.

The woman sighed as her ward exited before she turned back to the child who continued to stare at her.

"...Nel still thinks ya hidin' sumthin'..."

* * *

"...It's probably about Nel. I'll just go and clear this up and then go back to sleep."

Haschwalth and Ichigo marched forward towards the throne room. The Stern Ritter Grandmaster looked at him over his shoulder before saying, "I don't think so. If he hasn't done anything about the girl now, then it's obvious that he really doesn't care."

Ichigo furrowed his brows as he asked, "Then why would he call for me? I can't think of another reason..."

The man hmph'd and motioned Ichigo to the throne room. The younger Quincy briefly wondered why Haschwalth was leading him here, or why he appeared to be waiting outside for something. Shrugging and pushing it away from his mind, he pushed open the frozen door to the throne room of the Quincy Monarch.

It was still the same as he remembered. The only difference was the curtain that definitely wasn't there last time. The man sat in his usual seat, opening his eyes when he realized that Ichigo had arrived.

"...I see your little friend hasn't taken any time away from your duties... I presume you're wondering why you're here."

Ichigo didn't say anything. If he knew Yhwach like he thought he did, the man was definitely going to explain.

"We've only had one major casualty in the invasion... Stern Ritter _'M'_... Shaz Domino, the _'Movement_'... A surely missed comrade."

The young Quincy blinked as he looked away in slight guilt. He didn't miss him that much... And he doubted anyone else did. Yhwach frowned and said, "Usually, these Stern Ritter promotions are done differently..."

Upon hearing that, Ichigo began blinking rapidly as he was still trying to process the man's words.

_'Did he just...?'_

"...You see, the ceremony involves me bestowing onto you your powers and ranking... But that's a general problem in itself... You can't accept my power."

Ichigo stared at the man in confusion until he explained, "For reasons unknown, even though all Quincy are born from and share my blood, Your Quincy powers will not accept my own... Which I suspect your former Fullbring and Hollow powers are responsible..."

_**"...My name? You can call me..."**_

He frowned as he thought about it and claimed, "...It might have been Suriel... When I talked to him, he-"

Before he could even finish, Yhwach interrupted him and questioned, "Wait, who?"

Ichigo blinked awkwardly and mumbled slowly, "...My...uhh... Vollstandig... I talked to him...inside of me... I think."

Yhwach stared down at him and said, "...You have an inner world? No Quincy has an inner world... And what do you mean by your Vollstandig actually existing in a communicative form?"

_'Wait, what?'_

Now Ichigo was confused. He shouldn't be able to communicate with Suriel, let alone possess an inner world?

_'Then who the hell is he? What's going on?'_

"How do you know that I can't accept my powers?"

Yhwach simply explained, "While you were unconscious, I had Cang Du switch your Sanrei Glove with a custom one made by Haschwalth... While the glove is meant to have disastrous results to one who preemptively removes it, the reaction isn't supposed to be as violent. You cannot accept any power from me."

Ichigo nodded as the man finished, "For that reason, I am simply bestowing the Schrift of the _'M'_ onto you... You will be...the 'Mask'... With this, the Stern Ritter Ceremony is completed... It's best you return to your new home and prepare... For soon, we will return to the 'surface' and finish the blood war of a thousand years."

Completely stunned, and also still disbelieving of the events that had transpired, Ichigo slowly turned around and trembled out of the room.

* * *

_'A step closer... I've finally come further than ever...'_

Lost in his own thoughts, Ichigo almost bumped into Haschwalth on his way.

"...What the? What are you still doing here?"

With a look of absolute seriousness (though it wasn't like he ever dropped the facade), Haschwalth stared at Ichigo and said, "I was waiting for you. I need you to come with me... Gina and the Arrancar are already waiting."

Ichigo frowned and said, "Waiting? For what?"

"Don't ask any questions. Just follow me."

Gulping slightly, as it was clear that the man meant business, Ichigo held his hands up in surrender and gave in, "Alright... Just don't hurt me too bad. I just got promoted, you know."

"I know. That's why I was waiting for you."

Frowning at his straightforward answer, Ichigo silently followed him as he led him through the halls of the large empire towards a large tower. He followed him up the large staircase and followed the man as he entered a dark room. Before they could go any further, they were stopped as a woman appeared in front of them.

She had blonde hair under an attendant's cap and white eyes atop her dark-scelera, similar to his Maskieren. The attendant mumbled, "Master Haschwalth, would you require anything before you leave?"

"No. You may rest now."

She nodded and stepped out of his way, and Haschwalth quickly slid past her as he motioned for Ichigo to follow him to the end of the room. It was there that he noticed a gate similar to the one in the main hallway of the Wandenreich. As he stood there admiring it, the elder Quincy nudged him slightly towards the gate.

"...Go in. The Arrancar and Gina are already on the other side."

It was there that Ichigo began to protest, frightful of what Haschwalth may be planning for him, but didn't get a chance to as he completely pushed him into it.

* * *

"...ake...up..."

As he lay there on the cold ground, slipping in and out of consciousness, he suddenly felt a stream of cold moisture appear on his face. He woke with wide eyes as he was staring in the uvula of a slobbing mouth, which dribbled from its chin onto his face.

"Gaaaagggh! Too close! That's nasty!"

He pushed against Nel's face as she smothered saliva all over his hand. Throwing her away from him, he wiped his hand off on his cloak before standing up and taking note of his surroundings.

To his left, he noticed Gina standing there holding Nel as he tossed the Arrancar in her direction. On his right, Haschwalth stood at the edge of the building they were standing on. Finally looking at all of the nearby buildings, Ichigo frowned in recognition.

"Hey... This is Karakura Town! Why'd you take me back here?"

Haschwalth made motion of acknowledging that he had heard Ichigo, only standing there in uncomfortable silence. After a short while, the man finally spoke.

"...I've been waiting for this moment for a long time... A thousand years, to be exact."

Ichigo blinked and said, "What?"

At that, Haschwalth turned around and stared at Ichigo before elaborating, "Your promotion to Stern Ritter... I told myself that, even though everyone wanted me to, I would wait until you became strong enough in your own right. You have, and now, I think it's time."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, and turned back to Gina and Nel to see how they reacted. Gina had her eyes closed, and Nel mumbled, "You should listen to 'em, Itsygo."

"...I'm going to explain everything to you... Your father, your mother... Why the Soul Reapers are interested in you... Everything that His Majesty hasn't explained to you, I shall do so now."

Ichigo's eyes expanded considerably, and before he could respond, Haschwalth continued, "But I will only do so if you agree to help me... I believe our interests coincide, so it's not something too difficult to ask for..."

"...And what is that?"

Haschwalth's eyes narrowed as he finished darkly, "Both you and I seek...to overthrow the Monarchy of the Wandenreich and reign control from _'His Majesty'_."

* * *

Trivia:

-Silber Bolven is German for "Silver Bolts" referring to Crossbow bolts. It fires a blast from the sword itself as opposed to the Getsuga Tensho, which was fired from the curved arc of the makeshift crossbow.

-Legionaria is the feminine form of Legionario, which is Spanish for "Legionnaire". Her technique involves using her strongest hand (right) to defensively block a technique while absorbing it at the same time and transferring it to her weapon. Think Chad's Fullbring (Right arm used for defense, left arm for offense).

-Latigo, Spanish for "Point of a Whip", was taken directly from Ulquiorra.

-Neliel's Resurreccion's full power is very similar to Baraggan's technique, and it expands on her basic principle of Cero Doble. Basically, while Ichigo was within her range, she can cancel out Spiritually-based techniques. If he used Blut Arterie, Getsuga Tensho, Heilig Kugel, or any other technique, she would have absorbed part of it and used it to sustain herself, which she did at the end. If he would have used Blut Vene or Hirenkyaku, she can actually fight his dominance of Reishi and absorbed, either slowing him down or weakening her. Therefore, he had to use his sword (Which is solidified Reishi and unaffected).

It's not that his Vollstandig is weak... It's just that Nel's abilities kept him from outright pwning her.

-Oh snap. Things got real. Now the truth of all the suspicious things that Haschwalth was doing since the **very** beginning is brought to light (though I suspect many of you already knew that). Now the direction of the upcoming "Thousand-Year Blood War" arc is made clear. To many who was asking when the other Stern Ritter would show up, your answer's cleared.

-Note: While Haschwalth's allies are mostly obvious (the ones who usually spoke to him suspiciously before a scene break), not all of them have been revealed, nor has the ones who fully support Yhwach.

-The next chapter will be the explanation for the events that have happened recently surrounding his father and mother, along with the revelations behind Suriel and the Soul Society.


	24. Shadow Crusade

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"Wait... You wanna rewind that for me and repeat it, please?"

Ichigo's mouth hung open as he simply stared at Haschwalth... The man whom he believed to be Yhwach's right hand man...wanted to take the throne from him?"

"What's this...? I don't even..."

The Stern Ritter Grandmaster continued, "The domain of the Wandenreich exists in the shadows of Soul Society. For that reason, I brought you here so that His Majesty couldn't sense us, or hear our conversation."

Ichigo's features was still blank as the man continued speaking, his words passing through his ears like a knife through butter.

"...Lucky for us, he believes that I've spied on your mother for the past week. So he would hold little suspicion for me if I take you with me."

That clearly woke Ichigo from his stupor, as he looked past Haschwalth and further down the building, realizing that it was the Karakura hospital. In one of the lit-up rooms, Masaki Kurosaki stood next to Kisuke Urahara and Ryuken Ishida. In the far corner of the room, Uryu Ishida and Chad Yasutora lay against the wall, while Orihime Inoue was sitting in a chair with a black cat in her lap, whom he knew to be Yoruichi Shihoin. What shocked him was the people standing next to whoever was in the bed.

"...Wait, what the hell are Tetsuo and Ryo doing there?"

Haschwalth answered, "For the past month, they've gone over multiple strategies to rescue you from the Wandenreich... They are still attempting to convert their bodies into Reishi so they can pass through the afterlife successfully."

Ichigo's face showed little emotion as he stared down at the scene. He felt as if he was really missing something important, like the punchline of a joke.

He was cut from his musings as Haschwalth grabbed his shoulder and explained, "I didn't bring you here to witness this. I need your help in taking His Majesty down."

The younger Quincy, however, shrugged his arm off as he stated, "Dude, you're crazy! I don't have any plans of getting myself killed!"

"...He already knows that you plan on doing so... He knew the moment he brought you here. Don't you understand that he's been giving you such special circumstances to keep an eye on you?"

Ichigo's eyebrows raised as he mumbled, "On...me...?"

"...You understand that he fears you entirely, correct? Your Sklavarei can surpass his own in due time, and he's afraid that you'll one day take his power for your own. So he keeps you close, and monitors your strength so that he may execute you and steal _your_ power when he gets the chance. You can't seriously be so innocent as to believe that he genuinely watches over you?"

He'd be lying if he said he did. It wasn't too hard to believe.

"...That's why I got to you before he was able to..."

Ichigo's brows furrowed as he fell back on a nearby concrete wall and stared at his feet. Without looking up, he questioned, "So what made you turn on him? If it's control you want, then what makes you any better than him?"

The question seemed to stun Haschwalth, as for the first time, his eyes widened in shock. He regained his composure easily and replied, "I'm nothing like him... He doesn't care about the ideal Quincy Haven... His foolish goals led us to ruination, and it is only thanks to us that we were able to escape and make our home beneath the Soul Society."

Gripping his fist tighter in anger, Haschwalth continued, "A thousand years we waited to reclaim our King, and a thousand years changed absolutely nothing about him. He is selfish, only obsessed with Vengeance. He cares little about the Quincy, so I shall take control from him and lead us to prosperity... Is that not a fair proposition, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"...And what is this ideal Quincy utopia you speak of? A world without Soul Reapers and Hollows? Is that home beneath the Soul Society not enough?"

Haschwalth was stunned into silence following his accusation. Ichigo frowned and bowed his head as he sighed and continued, "You aren't that different from him at all."

Both Gina and Haschwalth stared in disbelief as Ichigo stood from the wall and motioned for Nel to follow him. The Arrancar hopped out of Gina's arms and scuttle over closer to him as he walked away.

"...You don't have to explain anything to me. I'm not helping you..."

Before Haschwalth could make any sort of defense, Gina called out, "No! Young Master, you have to reconsider! Unless the entire Wandenreich was to turn on him, you're the only one capable!"

Ichigo turned around and scowled at Gina and Haschwalth before saying, "You want me to help you, but I don't understand why I should trust you either."

The Stern Ritter Grandmaster sighed and closed his eyes before admitting, "You're right... You don't have a reason to trust us... You don't have to, but you can't deny our common goal."

"...And what's the point of killing Yhwach if I have to take you down right after? When you take over the Wandenreich and finish exactly what he started? Same shit, different day. I'm not taking a part in this."

Before he could move, he felt a tightened grip on his legs. Looking down, he stared into Nel's wide eyes as she repeated, "You should listen to 'em, Itsygo. It ain't whatcha think..."

Raising an eyebrow at the Arrancar's serious expression, Ichigo wondered why she seemed to support them. If the Quincy's utopia was to come, then she would be a casualty. As he pondered over her odd loyalties, Haschwalth's voice rung through his ears.

"...You once said it yourself, Ichigo Kurosaki?."

_If possible, the man's grin widened and he noted, "So we're reaching dangerous territory, are we? See, kid, you're saving the living from the Hollows, but not the Souls itself. Every Hollow you kill condemns another Soul to nothingness."_

_ Ichigo frowned and he grounded out, "I wouldn't have to condemn them to nothing if you Soul Reapers would actually do your jobs! As long as you fail to protect my friends, I'll be the one to pick the slack up. End of story."_

"All I want is for my companions to exist without fear of being hunted down...by both Hollows and Soul Reapers... His Majesty's brought us to the light where we don't belong, and brought his vengeance into everyone's world... I want us to stay in the shadows where we can live without being branded targets... Now do you understand me?"

It seemed he was finally able to garner his attention once more as Ichigo turned back around. Out of the corner of his eye, the teenager stared at him with suspicion still in his gaze.

"...I'll work with you...for now at least..."

Ichigo couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the overjoyed look on Gina's face, along with the relieved sigh emitted from Haschwalth. After the small moment was over, the elder Stern Ritter returned to his earlier facade.

"...Now that it's been settled, I still need to inform you of your connection to the Soul Reapers... What do you know about your father...?"

The teenager frowned as he thought about it and answered, "Well... I know he was a Soul Reaper Captain and that he had lost his powers for a while until the night Mother and I was attacked... Then he would leave the house at random intervals, I assume to battle Hollows, and passed away in the hospital a month after his last fight... Other than that he seemed to piss many other people off, that's all I have to go on..."

As he finished, Nel smacked herself in the forehead and grumbled loudly, "Aye-yai-yai! No wonder! Ya don't know a thing 'bout yer daddy! Nel is so sawry, Itsygo!"

He looked down at the little Arrancar with confusion as she fell on her behind held her face in her hands. He sweatdropped when she began crying and shaking her head, and Haschwalth sighed again and said, "...I'm afraid she's right. Do you even know about Aizen?"

_"...The desert circle that you've been assigned to infiltrate is connected to the former residences of Sosuke Aizen's Espada."_

_Ichigo looked over his shoulder as Grimmjow stood crouched upon a high platform in the center of the room. He looked to the left of the room and let out a cruel snicker as he noted, "...Ironic, this is... The Fifth Tower of Las Noches... This room...is Aizen's old throne room." _

_ "This throne was made for my ass, and my ass alone. He's gone now, and I can sit in it all I want... So are you here to take this throne from me, Ichigo Kurosaki?"_

"...Actually, I've heard about him... I once heard my Dad and Urahara mention him... But nothing other than that."

Haschwalth nodded and explained, "Sosuke Aizen was a notorious Soul Reaper who wished to transcend beyond all beings and reside upon the throne of the world... He was responsible for creating and experimenting with Hollows and Arrancars, including the Espada you've met... He was also responsible for placing the blame of a certain Hollowfication on Tessai Tsukabishi and Kisuke Urahara. They were nearly executed, only saved by the late appearance of Yoruichi Shihoin. They were exiled and banished to the realm of humans forever."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he revealed that to him.

_'So that's who they are...'_

"His Majesty explained to you that your mother possessed a Hollow Virus that you absorbed... Sosuke Aizen was the creator of the Hollow that attacked your mother and father... That Hollow was formed from the basis of Soul Reapers, and it passed a particular Hollow down to you... One that became your Zanpakuto and Fullbring..."

The man closed his eyes and continued, "The Hollow Virus resided in your mother, being held back by her connection to Isshin Kurosaki, and it now resides in you... And from your very birth, Sosuke Aizen targeted you... When His Majesty's technique nearly killed you and your mother, it broke the strings connecting your father to your mother... From that point on, he placed a spell on you to hide you."

Haschwalth turned back towards the hospital room window and revealed, "Your father's connection to you gave him access to his powers again... So he joined the Soul Reapers once more... Your father became the Substitute Soul Reaper for Karakura to protect you from the clutches of that madman and his Espada."

_"Ichigo Kurosaki."_

_ Ichigo didn't have time to catch the surprised expression on Grimmjow's face as he palmed it and pushed the Arrancar back, slamming him into a nearby red tower._

_ After the debris and smoke cleared away, he found himself surprised when the Espada pushed his hand away and growled, "Did you just tell me that your name was 'Kurosaki!'? You're related to that bitch-ass Kurosaki Soul Reaper!?"_

_ The image of his father flashed through his mind and his strength faltered for a moment. That was enough for Grimmjow to push him away as the man emerged from the broken pillar. He flexed his shoulders and glared down at Ichigo intently as the Quincy flipped to his feet and slid away._

_ "...And how the hell do you know my father?"_

_ Ichigo wasn't ready for the moment that the man began emitting heavy laughter deep from his own lungs. His shoulders bounced repeatedly as he laughed into the sky like a child given a new toy._

_ "You're his son!? Holy shit! There really is someone up above, 'cause the heavens are shining down on me right now! Come here, you little shit!"_

"On the first day of November, three years ago, the war between the Soul Reapers and Aizen broke out..."

_'Three years ago...? I was fifteen then... That was exactly a month before-!'_

"When Aizen defeated the Head Captain, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the war should have been over... But your father arrived in time and used a single powerful technique that cost him everything... He lost his powers..."

_"...You mean... You have no idea of your father? Or anything he's done?"_

___**'No idea about my father? What bullshit is this man trying to talk about!?'**_

_ "You mean his former occupation as a Soul Reaper Captain...? Of course..."_

_ Of course he knew about him...and how he died... Of all things, he was weakened by a Hollow attack. All through the years, he would pop in for a visit, and then leave to slay Hollows. He was placed in the hospital for a month after the attack that weakened him... It always annoyed him how his father used to joke about it so much... It was apparently funny that a doctor like himself ended up in the hospital..._

_ A month later, on the Second of December, he died. Ichigo had only been fifteen at the time. And his mother had never been the same..._

"...And exactly a month later, he died. From that point on, your mother fought to continue protecting you as your father did...going as far as to limit your interactions with the afterlife so you wouldn't die as he did... Your father is hailed in the Soul Society as a war hero, and the remaining Espada, such as this one here, believes in him for rescuing them from Aizen."

**_"N-No! I-I learned it from my old man..."_**

_ After hearing that, she mumbled something incomprehensible and turned away from him. However, he was able to understand the word "Isshin". He frowned and reached out to grab her, though she simply deflected his hand and used Sonido to move away._

_ "And what the hell does my dad have to do with this? Why do you Espada know about my father!?"_

_ Neliel narrowed her eyes and snarled, "It appears I was mistaken about you... You've known about him all this time... In that case, there's no point in holding back anymore. From this point on, Ichigo Kurosaki, I will deliver killing blows only. You're dead to us."_

_ Ichigo frowned in confusion as he heard the betrayal clear and evident in her voice. _

The tiny Arrancar gripped Ichigo's pants legs and whispered, "Nel's sawry, Itsygo... I thaught... You said Mr. Ithsin taught you, and Nel didn't believe you 'cause he was dead... And I thaught you betwayed him... I didn't know Mr. Ithsin gave his life for us..."

Ichigo blinked and said, "...I meant, I learned it from him because I watched him do it and tried to copy it... He only taught me the basics of Soul Reapers..."

It seemed that was the wrong thing to say as Nel began whining even harder, with Ichigo attempting to calm her down.

"Now Nel feels worse 'cause Itsygo didn't know!"

Ichigo let out a frustrated sigh as he reached down and pick Nel up under her armpits and held her in front of his face. Staring at her eye-to-eye, he mumbled, "Stop apologizing... I don't really care that much..."

"...How can Itsygo forgive Nel so easily...?"

He blinked and replied, "Because it doesn't really matter anymore, now does it? Now please... For the love of God... _Stop_... _**Crying**_..."

As the girl sniffled and wiped at her moist eyes, Ichigo's gaze lost focus as he mumbled, "...So that's why the Hollows targeted me specifically, and why the Soul Reapers want to capture me..."

Haschwalth nodded, but corrected, "That, and your mother."

When Ichigo stared at him with a raised brow, the man motioned behind him. Staring at the well-lit window of the hospital room, he looked around to see what was off. It wasn't until he actually gave the occupant of the bed a second glance that he realized that something was off.

...Because a bone fragment was present on the being's skull...

"...An Arrancar?"

This time, Gina was the one to answer, "Due to the efforts of your father, the Arrancar and the Soul Society have been steady allies...and the Soul Society also keeps tabs on Kisuke Urahara and his group, including your mother. Thus, all of Soul Society know that you were present in the Hueco Mundo Invasion, including your Mother... And they know that you're coming to Soul Society."

Ichigo frowned and said, "If I'm captured, then your rebellion is done for..."

Haschwalth gave an affirmative nod before murmuring, "...I'm sorry... It'll be a while before you're able to go back to your friends and family."

"...I said that I wouldn't return until I can be sure that I won't fail them ever again... And until the Old Man's dead, I won't return..."

* * *

It was decided by Haschwalth that they wouldn't start anything until the invasion of Soul Society was over. So he was told to sit tight until that moment.

At the current moment, which was a day later, Ichigo decided to further study the glove and figure out the identity of the man in the dark realm. Sadly, his progress had been interrupted.

"...So Haschwalth tells me you've agreed to help him, eh? It looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

Bambietta smiled as she leaped onto his large bed and sat on the edge of it. Ichigo scowl as he flexed his fingers and ignored her. As he glared at his hand, he grounded out, "Why are you here? Don't you have other stuff to do?"

"...And leave my favorite strawberry to brood alone? No way! Plus, I believe we have a _deal_..."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he slowly turned towards her, completely unprepared for the wicked grin on her face. She purposefully blew her nails and scratched them against her chest as she said, "Two Espada is only six points, remember? I've defeated way more during that week...So... You know what I want..."

Ichigo made a slight noise of fear as she appeared behind him and grabbed his shoulder, sultrily suggesting, "_Aww_... _Come on_... What's the _worst_ that could _happen, _hm?"

Grimacing as she lightly tapped her fingers down his shoulder, he honestly replied, "...Everything. Nel, you might have to leave the room."

In response, she laughed and moved away from him as she said, "I was only joking! You should've seen the look on your face!"

Ichigo frowned, which caused her to laugh even harder as she fell back on the and gripped her stomach. He ignored her and collapsed into the chair by his nearby desk. In the center of the desk, the black Sanrei glove laid flat on its wooden top.

As he studied the glove more, he finally realized that the laughs of the woman finally died down and she was leaning over his shoulder with him.

"...How is it?"

He turned back to her and responded, "How is what?"

"...I mean, how does it feel to be able to talk to an inner being? Just like a Soul Reaper?"

Ichigo shrugged and answered, "I mean, I only talked to Suriel once when I was fighting Nel... He definitely didn't save me the last time I went to that dark world..."

"What!? Dark world!?"

Bambietta and Ichigo turned around as Nel hopped onto her feet on the table. When they stared at her in confusion, she elaborated, "Arrancar's have inner worlds, too! When Nel first used Gamooza-!"

"...You mean Gamuza...?"

Scowling cutely at Ichigo's interruption, the child growled, "Nel knows what Nel said! The first time Nel wanted to use Gamooza, there was a dark world with a big, scary mask in it! Kinda like the one on Nel's head now!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as the vision of the mask in his own world appeared. Bambietta's brows furrowed as she began thinking, and she said, "...Well... That's weird... Are you suggesting that Ichigo possesses an Arrancar's Zanpakuto?"

"...Nel, how do I enter the inner world?"

Nel placed her fingers on her lips as she looked towards the ceiling. She snapped her fingers and said, "You hold your sword and sit still for a really long time!"

Ichigo immediately grabbed the Sanrei Glove and held it tightly as he stared at it.

Five minutes had passed by, and Bambietta grew more and more bored as the time passed by. After a while, she finally asked, "So is it working?"

"No... Maybe I was..."

He was cut off as the Quincy Cross on his side burst into light, blinding everyone in the room.

* * *

_He once again found himself in the dark area that was his supposed Inner World. Again, the large masked being floated idly in place and watched him._

_ "...So what are you?"_

_ His train of thought was interrupted by the sudden arrival of another being. Ichigo turned around as the echoing footsteps of Suriel moved closer to him._

_**"Well that's the question, ain't it? Who is that thing, and who am I? Can you figure it out, Kurosaki?"**_

_He was actually able to see his face. It was still recognizable to him, but he couldn't discern who... His lengthy white hair, similar to Haschwalth's in style, reached down to the back of his large white overcoat decorated with black furs and black diamonds on the bottom of it. From what could be seen of his outfit underneath his coat was dark black, and he wore a pair of tinted sunglasses on his forehead._

_ "...You again."_

_ Suriel chuckled and said, __**"Yes. I'm always here.?"**_

_Ichigo turned to the large Hollow mask and then back to the man and asked, "...Have you always been here?"_

_ The other being shrugged and replied, __**"Maybe."**_

_"...You're not very cooperative, are you?"_

_ The other man raised an eyebrow and said, "__**I'm a Hollow... It's our job to troll everyone else in the world... Durr..."**_

_The scowl on Ichigo's face caused the man to laugh. Before Ichigo could say anything, he held his finger in front of him and said, __**"I'll give ya a hint... There were three Hollows inside of your body... I'm neither one of them."**_

_ "...What the hell? That doesn't make any sense!"_

_ Suriel shrugged and put his hands in his pockets and said, __**"It does, idiot Kurosaki. Think on it."**_

_ Ichigo sighed frustratingly and said, "...Grand Fisher is out of the question, because I know the original Hollow and my mother's Hollow are more powerful... My Hollow was absorbed when Ginjo took it... So that leaves Mother's."_

_**"Nope. Told ya I wasn't either one."**_

_He sighed again and then looked back at the floating mask. He then turned back to the man and said, "...So one of you... One you represents the Fullbring powers that Riruka returned to me..."_

_**"...All her powers did was give me enough life to sustain me... Good guess, though... Still not close."**_

_Blowing out hot air, Ichigo fell on his backside and crossed his arms around his knee as Suriel looked down at him. There was no possible way he could even figure this out._

_**"Dumb Kurosaki. Three Hollows in one body, what do you think?"**_

_Ichigo looked up at the man as he turned away from and stared towards the mask. His words triggered an old memory, from when he first came to the Wandenreich._

**"Your Inner Hollow, formed from your Zanpakuto, had become one with your Quincy abilities and thought it found Hollows to feast on... When your mother ruined your Soul Reaper powers, I suspect it drew from the Grand Fisher to survive... But was unable to when Ginjo stole them... Thus, the only Hollow that remains is the one Masaki Kurosaki possessed..."**

** "When your Inner Hollow was taken by Ginjo, your Quincy abilities had been released from their Hollowed binding...and your mother's Hollow began to break down, as all things of Sklavarei... But your Quincy Cross... As you used that Cross as a Fullbring focus, it was gifted with the powers of that Hollow... Some Hollows survive in Hueco Mundo by breathing in the Reishi in the atmosphere... So I believe that you...possess complete Reishi domination similar to my own."**

_"...Three Hollows fighting to become the dominant spirit...sounds very similar to a Gillian... You're an amalgamation of all three of them, and you've taken on the form of the Hollow that dominated the others... My mother's Hollow."_

**_The man's widened in surprise as he said, "You actually got a good bit of it right... But you haven't figured it all out, I'm afraid..."_**

_He pointed towards the mask and said, _**_"That is your Mother's virus... I never figured out his name, so I'll just call him Maskieren. I'd give you another hint, but your little friend gave it away."_**

_"My little...friend?"_

**Scowling cutely at Ichigo's interruption, the child growled, "Nel knows what Nel said! The first time Nel wanted to use Gamooza, there was a dark world with a big, scary mask in it! Kinda like the one on Nel's head now!"**

**Ichigo's eyes widened as the vision of the mask in his own world appeared. Bambietta's brows furrowed as she began thinking, and she said, "...Well... That's weird... Are you suggesting that Ichigo possesses an Arrancar's Zanpakuto?"**

_Ichigo blinked at the realization and before he could speak, the Hollow chuckled and said, _**_"...That's right... I'm an Arrancar... I rose above all of your other spirits, including the Old Man, and became the dominant Spirit of your body..."_**

_He pointed behind him at the gaping mask and revealed, _**_"...And Maskieren is my Zanpakuto and the source of my powers... I think... I was able to finally thrive in this new form, thanks to you, Kurosaki."_**

_"...Thanks to me?_

**Saido stared in wonder as the boy suddenly fell to his knees while gripping his mask tightly. He slowly gripped the handle of his blade and held it up to his face.**

** The Soul Reaper watched in confusion as he brought the pommel of the tube to his face and slammed it into his mask. The shards of the mask crumbled helplessly to the ground, leaving behind the angry face of Ichigo. The silver tube was once more visible as the weapon returned to his original form as a tube.**

_** "...Thanks to you, I was able to continue thriving as an Arrancar... You gave me the necessary strength to put that Old Man back in his casket."**_

_Ichigo held a hand out as he questioned, "Wait a second. What old-?"_

_Before Ichigo could finish, Suriel interrupted, **"...You best be warned, though, if you're going to continue on this little crusade... Yhwach isn't an idiot... He isn't the type to be fooled easily, and his intentions are layered under thousands of lies. Not even Beanstalk knows that man's goals..."**_

_ "...How do you know him? Have you seen him before...?"_

_The Arrancar clicked his tongue as he twirled around the sunglasses and said, **"...Too many times to count... I've got enough sunglasses to start a collection... There's a reason you're unable to receive any powers from him...and it's called me... There's a piece of that man in every Quincy... You best be careful, Kurosaki... I wasn't joking when I said I didn't want to die."**_

* * *

"Did it work? Did you make contact with the spirit?"

Bambietta had been worried, even though she wouldn't ever show it, when he stared blankly into space for thirty minutes. Thus, she breathed again when Ichigo suddenly began blinking rapidly as he stood from his chair.

"...I did... He's the reason Yhwach's powers hasn't affected me... Apparently, Yhwach exists in every Quincy in some form or fashion, and Suriel dominated him every time. So I wonder if he's afraid of me...because he can't insert his presence into me?"

Bambietta blinked at the revelation and murmured, "That could be a possibility... But why would he want to insert his presence into somebody?"

"...'Cause he wants ta keep an eye on Itsygo."

Ichigo and Bambietta looked over at Nel as she leaped from the table and scuttled towards the two Quincy.

"...It's possible dat the presence is a spy, and not a power-box like normal Quinshi... It's good that your Inner man took 'em out."

Before he could respond, Gina crept through his entrance and explained, "His Majesty wants the Stern Ritter to come to the Hall..."

Bambietta scowled and grumbled, "And we were getting to the good part... Guess its the discussion meeting for the invasion..."

Ichigo stepped away from his desk and motioned towards Nel, which the woman nodded as the two Stern Ritter stepped past her and exited the doorway.

_'...It seems...that the beginning to the end...has officially started.'_

* * *

Trivia:

-Essentially, since this version of Ichigo was slacking as the Main Character, Isshin did his job for him. From exposing Aizen (Soul Society Arc), to fighting the Arrancars (Cold War Arc) to infiltrating Hueco Mundo (Hueco Mundo Arc) to fighting Aizen (White Invasion-Deicide Arc). However, when Isshin used the Final Getsuga Tensho, he died a month later as a oppose to simply losing his powers. Note that Isshin uses the FGT and dies in the same time frame that Canon!Ichigo uses it and wakes up a month later.

Because of this, certain Arrancar (Grimmjow) can only think of vengeance while others (Everyone else) view him as the hero who freed them from Aizen. As stated, Nel raged on him because she believe him to have betrayed and possibly killed Isshin (Ichigo says he learned from him, but everyone knows he's dead, which he corrected by saying that he only heard the name) when he stole the name of his technique.

-In the story, Aizen actually defeated Yamamoto. So now Shunsui is the Head-Captain, and he tolerates a lot more than Yamamoto; Gin was pardoned and became a Captain, he's allied with Masaki, and he's allied with the Arrancars... None of which the Old Man would have done.

-Suriel is actually the Arrancar form of "White". It's been stated that White dominated the other Hollows (Grand Fisher and Zangetsu), and everyone assumed that Sklavarei (Which, as a Quincy technique, would have been the work of Quincy Power!Zangetsu) absorbed him. However, in Chapter 8: "Shake the Heavens 2: Kill the Messenger", he breaks the mask of White from his face. White became an Arrancar and was able to dominate QP Zangetsu and become the Quincy Spirit of Ichigo's body. Thus, his abnormalities in Reishi Absorption, his large amounts of Reiryoku, and his incredible Reiatsu is due to "White".

The Hollow Mask (Maskieren) is the Spirit of "White's" Zanpakuto. The Hollow power that he uses in Chapter 7 and 8 is because of it.

-The spell Haschwalth refers was mentioned in Chapter 3: "Superhero". When it was broken upon Isshin's death, Xcution and the Wandenreich are able to find him.

_**Arc Trivia**_

_**Timeline of Previous Events**_

**-(A Thousand Years Prior)** Yhwach is defeated by Yamamoto. Haschwalth and elder Quincies guide the others underneath the Seireitei.

**-(Twenty One Years Prior) **Aizen unleashes "White", who attacks Isshin and Masaki.

**-(Eighteen Years Prior) **Giruhiko Dokugamine begins Hollow Experiments. He is infected by Hollow, but dies soon after his children are born.

**-(Fourteen Years Prior) **Riruka Dokugamine escapes from her family to escape scrutiny for having Hollow Powers. Gina Dokugamine seeks to prove that she and her father aren't failures.

**-(Nine Years Prior)** Ichigo and Masaki is attacked by Grand Fisher. Ichigo absorbs Grand Fisher, White, and his Mother's powers, and the Hollows and QP Zangetsu begin their battle for dominance.

Isshin Kurosaki is once again able to become a Soul Reaper. He becomes the Substitute Soul Reaper for Karakura Town, and with Kisuke Urahara, plans to expose Aizen.

Aizen sets his sights on Ichigo.

Haschwalth realizes that Yhwach is bringing about the downfall of the Wandenreich.

**-Three Years Prior) **Aizen is finally exposed by Isshin as a traitor. He leaves the Soul Society and goes to Hueco Mundo.

Isshin fights many Arrancar, including Grimmjow, during the war.

Isshin infiltrates Hueco Mundo, finding and saving Nel during the invasion.

Aizen defeats many of the Captains and deals the killing blow to Yamamoto. Isshin arrives and, with the help of Kisuke, defeats Aizen with the Final Getsuga Tensho. Isshin loses his powers and dies in the hospital a month later.

Isshin spell is broken, allowing Xcution and the Wandenreich to find him.

Halibel becomes the Queen of Hueco Mundo.

**Chapter 13 Trivia**

-Claudius Kelby was originally given a bigger role as Ichigo's other friend besides Gina, but he never made sense in any of the roles I put him in.

**Chapter 14 Trivia**

-The fight with Bambietta is very similar in design to his battle with Kenpachi in Canon, while its written with his battle with Tsukishima as a reference.

**Chapter 15 Trivia**

-The talk with Bambietta was the first instance of Haschwalth's betrayal, particularly the 'Next Emperor' comment.

-Originally, Gina was supposed to be Quilge's Lieutenant before she was moved to Ichigo's right hand woman. In another draft, she was supposed to be the Captain of another Jagdarmee unit and had either willingly stepped down or was demoted.

**Chapter 16 Trivia**

-Chapter 16 and 17 title refers to Jay-Z's, Kanye West's, and Frank Ocean's song "No Church in the Wild" from the Great Gatsby soundtrack. References the survival theme that is present in Hueco Mundo.

-For no reason, the description of the Arrancars is based on the unnamed Arrancars present during Aizen's first meeting, but were never named and never given a second appearance.

-Giselle is one of Haschwalth's allies. Her conversation with Ichigo was a hint of her alliance.

-If it wasn't clear, the Goddess Gantenbainne refers to is Halibel.

**Chapter 17 Trivia**

-The fight was supposed to be longer, as Bazz-B was intended to use his Vollstandig... But we didn't even know his powers then (though we do now), so it was never extended.

-Ichigo was originally supposed to kill him and take his letter 'H' (The 'Hollow'), but I wanted him to stick around.

**Chapter 18 Trivia**

-Chapter title is the Volume 51 title, which has a picture of Riruka on the cover.

-Yukio tells Ryo everything Haschwalth tells Ichigo now, but not necessarily all of it. Kisuke tells her the rest

-Yukio was also referring to Haschwalth when he states _"...You are both correct...and incorrect... We learned his position from both within the Wandenreich...and outside of it." _Haschwalth is inside the Wandenreich, but is also a traitor.

- I had wrote another draft of Gina as being a former Stern Ritter before losing her position Ichigo.

-Gina was a Communications Officer prior to joining Ichigo. That was why she was close enough to Yhwach and Haschwalth to overhear them.

**Chapter 19 Trivia**

-There's a secret about Shaz Domino in this chapter that's in the next arc, but I'm sure I gave it away by mentioning it.

**Chapter 20 Trivia**

-Title of this Chapter and Chapter 23 refers to the official Soundtrack that "No Church in the Wild" is on. While Grimmjow's comment refers to it, it mainly refers to Haschwalth.

-Grimmjow's battle combines references from both Shinji vs. Grimmjow and Ichigo vs. Grimmjow Part 2.

-Ciara Varuton is named after Clara Barton, a famous nurse during the Civil War. Her similarities to Mayuri and Unohana is key to her personality and letter.

**Chapter 21 Trivia**

-The throne is actually designed and reference from the Demon's Soul boss "False King Allant". His throne room has a large opening where he can see everything in his kingdom.

**Chapter 22 Trivia**

-As stated, Neliel wasn't taking the battle seriously because she assumed Ichigo was either a spy or completely ignorant to his father. When she discovered that he knew him and made the comment that she believed to be a lie, she activated rage mode.

-Back in the first Arc when I was first creating him, Suriel was to be based on Ginjo (Which is why Ichigo feared him over the light). In my original draft, I had a plot line that involved the Wandenreich's Sanrei gloves being made of Human Souls, and that Haschwalth used Ginjo's soul for Ichigo's glove. That's actually why Suriel continues calls him "Kurosaki" instead of "Ichigo".

However, the sinister feeling he got from Suriel and his appearance was Yhwach(QP Zangetsu).

-Originally, Suriel's name were picked the names of Fallen Angels/Demons (Lucifer, Beezlebub, etc.). It felt too cliche for me, so I just went with a Moon reference.

**Chapter 23 Trivia**

-The Tres Bestias are still alive. Halibel floods the palace and allowed the water to carry them out.

-As I've recently become a League of Legends fan, Silber Bolzen(Silver Bolts) is a reference to Vayne from that game.

-Legionaria (Feminine form of Legionnaire) is a reference to both the Phalanx military formation and the Pilum (spear throwers) of the Roman Empire.

-Nel's power-up is a reference to Canon when she uses Super Acceleration as a child.

-Originally, the 'M' was going to refer to the "Moon", but I opted to switch it out.


	25. Lost Agent

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

His feet clapped aimlessly across the wooden floors of the deserted hallway. With each passing step, his shoulders shrugged lower and lower as the large door of his office approached. With tired eyes, he gazed upon his right hand woman, Nanao Ise, as she stood next to it, clearly waiting for him.

"Captain Kyoraku, the others are waiting. The meeting is on its way."

The Head-Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads nodded as the door was pushed open and he slowly stepped in. All eyes was on him as he marched past them to stand in front of all of the Captains.

"...This meeting shall now begin... If any of you have not heard the news yet... It appears that the Wandenreich has moved into Hueco Mundo within these past few weeks... The Queen, and many of her subjects, have been either killed or enslaved..."

The eyes of many of the Captains either widened in surprise or close in silent mourning. It had only been two years since the war with Aizen, but the Arrancars were no longer an enemy.

"...For the Quincy to invade full throttle so fast..."

Everyone turned to Jushiro Ukitake as the white-haired man shook his head in disbelief and continued, "...Is this because of Isshin's son? Was he a part of the invasion?"

"Impossible."

All eyes moved to Sui-Feng as her eyes narrowed in anger and humiliation. She still had not forgotten what he had done to her team.

"It's only been a few months since he fought with my Stealth Force... You believe that this child has the power to stand toe-to-toe with Captain-level foes in so little time?"

Before she could speak more, Shunsui silenced her and said, "He is the son of a Soul Reaper Captain and a Quincy. Regardless of how he managed to obtain such power in this short a time, he should not be taken lightly... And according to Urahara and Mrs. Kurosaki, Jushiro, he was apart of the invasion."

The large man standing in between the bald Captain and Jushiro, Zaraki Kenpachi, huffed grumbled, "Prioritizing this brat over the head? Ain't the leader one of the Old Man's rivals?"

"Sir!"

Shunsui and everyone else looked towards Nanao as she placed her fingers toward her ear. After a short while of speaking into her mic, she turned back to the Head-Captain and informed him, "Urahara's group is at the gate... Including some Humans...and an Arrancar. They're requesting permission to be allowed inside."

* * *

"...So this is the afterlife? It's definitely not what I thought it would be like..."

Ryo had to agree with Uryu's statement. The area leading up to the gate reminded her of the worn-down restaurant that Ichigo once called a "shack". The feudal-based area was pretty poor in appearance, but Kisuke and Yoruichi both reassured them that the Seireitei was a lot different.

"...I'd have to agree with them... I've only been here once before, and its amazing how drastically different this place is from the outside."

The large gatekeeper, whom they knew was Jidanbo, stepped aside and began to open it. The shadowy silhouettes of multiple people emerged from underneath it as the giant hefted the door up.

A man, very similar in appearance to the Soul Reaper that they met long ago, stood at the entrance. The only reason neither Ryo nor Tetsuo mistook him for Ekichiro was the white Haori that he wore.

As if meeting old friends, the man held his arms out and greeted, "Long time no see, Kisuke and Yoruichi...and to you as well, Mrs. Kurosaki."

The woman's expression heavily reminded her of Ichigo when she saw the Head-Captain. However, Ryo understood why.

_'Her husband abandoned their family to rescue Soul Society, so she probably still harbors ill feelings towards the Soul Reapers.'_

"And I would have to say good day to you human kids as well, huh? Not too often that Soul Society receives such esteemed guests as yourself. You all may step inside, and we'll continue this in my office."

* * *

An effeminate Arrancar with dark hair flinched slightly as he walked into the large office, following Urahara and the Head-Captain. He was still shaken from the invasion, though being in the world of Soul Reapers did nothing to ease his uncomfortable aura. It was well-known amongst the residents of Hueco Mundo that the treaty with Soul Society didn't ease the tension between Soul Reapers, and vice-versa.

The man in the hat motioned for him to sit down, and once he did, he realized how unfortunate his circumstances were. Out of the five Captains that resided in the room, two of them held gazes of contempt and one stared at him with complete indifference.

The shortest of the Captains, a woman, marched up to him as he sat and began immediately, "Now, Arrancar, I want you to-!"

"Captain Feng. This isn't an interrogation... Do not treat this as such."

The softly spoken, yet threatening words of the Head-Captain kept the woman at bay as she gritted her teeth and stayed in her position. The dark-haired man next to her looked to the leader and said, "He appears traumatized... What if he's not ready to speak about it...? If that's the case, we should begin prepari-"

"I'm right here! I can hear you both, and I can speak as well, damnit!"

The simple outburst caused all of the Captains to stop their little disagreement and turn to the Arrancar. The Head-Captain chuckled and said, "It seems he's spoken...Mr...?"

"...Luppi... Luppi Antenor... Privaron Espada..."

The gray-haired Captain with the dark mustache questioned, "Isn't that the demoted Espada?"

Luppi frowned and answered, "Yes, though its also a title for those who aren't at the level of an Espada yet..."

The Head-Captain nodded and turned to the sick and pale Captain on his left side before nodding his head. The man walked closer to him and began, "...I'm sure you know why you're here."

"...Not really... I just told Urahara and his group that Hueco Mundo's been invaded... But they decided to bring me here for further questioning..."

The elderly man sighed tiredly before explaining, "...There's a special target in the Wandenreich's camp that we're after... His name is Ichigo Kurosaki... He has spiky hair, orange in color, and-"

Luppi's eyes widened and he quickly interrupted, "Wait... I know that guy...!"

* * *

_"The sun is fake. It seems someone here has good taste." _

_ His head ached after the battle with the Stern Ritter known as Shaz Domino. He had only managed to eliminate a few of those Quincy before that man appeared._

_ The man whose shoulders he was sitting atop of gave a sigh of relief and mumbled,"...I think I'm going to start killing these creatures from now on... Risking everything to keep them alive isn't worth it." _

_**'Who's...he talking to...?'**_

_"Was this the only threat?"_

_ His holder shrugged and said, "I'm sure I felt more of them, but for now, it seems to be." _

_ Luppi heard the shuffling of feet as the other person said, "Do what Quilge ordered you all to do... See if anyone else is nearby."_

_ "Sanrei-Four, Sanrei-Six, with me! Sanrei-Two, Three, and Five, you check the other direction! The remaining four will stay behind and tend to M-Unit!" _

_ He felt himself being carried around. He struggled to open his eyes, though they were barely able to see the white sands of Hueco Mundo._

_ "Las Noches is completely locked down... During our expedition, an Arrancar must've escaped and informed the rest of them. The Espada and Privaron Espada have been secretly striking at us with guerrilla tactics and large squad invasions with the Fraccion and Hollows." _

_ The voice of the other man asked, "Is that Arrancar in your arms...an Espada?" _

_ "No. It was the leader of the squad... However, he could be a Privaron Espada..."_

_ The other man then asked, "Have you come across an Espada yet?" _

_ "No. Quilge contacted me and informed that he was being attack by Espada... Along with several other Stern Ritter... And from what I understand, Bambietta has been attacked by the squads as well..." _

_**'...So the other one...is figuring it out, huh...?'**_

_"Shit! All of you! Get out of the way!"_

_ He could hear the rapid screaming and the gunfire as his Espada backup entered the fray. He could smell the sickening human blood as it splattered on the ground, and could even feel everyone's fear as Grimmjow did his job._

_ He cried out as he was dropped to the ground, holding in his breath as the pain resonated through his body._

_ "Crap! Kurosaki, where did he go!?"_

_ Luppi rolled onto his stomach as he watched the gory explosion of Pantera slicing through the Stern Ritter. His last glimpse before unconsciousness was the orange-haired teenager glaring at the blade of Grimmjow._

_ "...Well, this doesn't look good."_

_ Grimmjow's mouth curled into a furious snarl and he murmured, "You're damn right 'bout that one. What's with you Quincies bringing your fuckshit into Hueco Mundo?"_

_ His half-way zipped hooded jacket and white hakama flowed in the wind as the Espada glared down at the teen. The wind pushed the hood off of his head, revealing a head filled with messy blue hair and an angry, feline-like jaw fragment on the man's face._

_ "...Well... That's a long story, Mr. Espada, sir... You see, the leader of the Quincy wants to kidnap you all and turn you into slaves... So maybe if you come quietly..."_

_ Grimmjow reared back apprehensively and said, "So ya think you're being funny, don't cha? I ain't lettin' any of you bitches take me alive."_

_ The Quincy closed his eyes and smirked. He mumbled, "I didn't think so... See, I didn't plan on taking you back to the Wandenreich..."_

_ The man narrowed his eyes as the Quincy glared at him angrily and yelled, "Not after you killed all of these Quincies right in front of me...!"_

_ Suddenly, the Quincy hand grabbed the blade and threw it away from his face as he slashed towards the Espada with his Spirit Weapon._

_ "Now I'm just gonna beat the shit outta you and hope I don't kill you!"_

_ The Espada reacted quickly and used his other fist to clash with the sword, pushing them both away from the other. They both looked towards the other and locked eyes before dashing back to the center and clashing, creating an explosion of dust and rocks._

_ "...And who are you, Espada?"_

_ The blue-haired Arrancar clicked his tongue and revealed, "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques...Privaron Espada."_

_ "Ichigo Kurosaki."_

* * *

"When that boy and Grimmjow took the fight to the inner sanctum of Las Noches, I was rescued by another Privaron... Last I heard, he defeated both Grimmjow and Neliel Tu Odelschwanck... The former Sexta and Tercera. The Queen fell soon after."

Out of everyone in the room, only Orihime and Ryo watched Masaki's expression. The heartbreaking, reluctant sigh that she let loose only served to disturb them more.

Shunsui groaned lowly and reluctantly explained, "...It is highly likely that he's within their most powerful forces... It's just as you've said, Urahara... He wasn't going after Soul Society until his weapon was complete..."

Shunsui backed up on his words when Masaki narrowed her eyes and corrected himself, "Not that your son's a weapon... I mean... I jus-"

The woman raised her hand up and said, "Save it," before turning to the Arrancar and asking, "Are the Quincy still there?"

Luppi nodded and replied, "Some of them still reside... But without our Queen, we don't really have a-"

Masaki quickly silenced and turned on her heels before exclaiming, "Chad! Orihime!"

The burly Hispanic and the auburn-haired girl jumped in shock as her voice resonated through the hall. Orihime raised her hand to her forehead in mock salute and exclaimed back, "Y-Yes, Mrs. Kurosaki!?"

"Both of you are coming with me!

Ryo and Tetsuo blinked in confusion, and the dark-haired man frowned and said, "That wouldn't be wise, Mrs. Kurosaki... If he is so important to this man, then it isn't likely that he will be there... There's a higher chance of him being a part of the invasion."

Tetsuo shook his head in disbelief and questioned, "Wait, what is he talking about? Where are you going, Mrs. Kurosaki!?"

Ryuken turned his eyes to the woman and asked, "Are you sure? I could come with you..."

Masaki raised her hand up to halt her cousin in place and sighed, "No... If the Soul Society gets invaded, you know their weaknesses... It's best you stay, Ryu."

"You're not going to Hueco Mundo alone."

Kisuke stepped past Ryuken up to Masaki and said, "I'll go with you... And we'll take Luppi with us as well, since he knows the area better than any of us. We'll find out where Ichigo and the Wandenreich are, then go rescue him ourselves..."

Masaki turned around and narrowed her eyes at the two people. After a five-second stare-off, she nodded and said, "I'm leaving now. Ryo, Tetsuo, you two will stay here with Uryu and Ryuken... I'm going to Hueco Mundo to find us some leads on the Wandenreich's next move."

As she and the group exited the office, Byakuya frowned and murmured, "Doesn't she understand that he isn't going to be there...? She would do better catching him during the invasion..."

Uryu, who stayed silent during the entire exchange, closed his eyes and sighed, "Did you not see her reaction? If Ichigo truly has fallen to the Wandenreich's ideals... Well, it'd break her heart to see him like that."

* * *

"So what happened, Big Brother? How did the meeting go?"

Byakuya Kuchiki stepped out of the office and traveled alongside his Lieutenant and younger sister, Rukia Kuchiki. He closed his eyes as he sighed to himself and said, "The boy's mother is going to Hueco Mundo to find something... According to the Head-Captain and Urahara, this Wandenreich might invade Soul Society soon..."

The woman's eyes bulged out as she said, "A war...? Already? It's only been two years since our last one... I can't believe this is happening so suddenly..."

"...It is... As high-ranking figures of the Seireitei, it is our job to defend it by any means we can. There isn't any point in continuously worrying about it."

Rukia nodded and fell back into place. Before the two could get too far, a voice called out, "So Mrs. Kurosaki's gone to the wild, has she? How _dangerous_..."

Byakuya paused in his steps, causing his Lieutenant to bump into him, as he turned and looked out of the corner of his eye. Followed by a raging Rangiku, Gin Ichimaru step out of the shadows and appeared in front of them. His eyes narrowed as he saw the grinning Soul Reaper and he quipped, "You were listening in?"

Rangiku placed her hands on her hips and groaned, "I tried to stop him, but he was too curious!"

The shorter girl sighed and corrected, "You mean halfheartedly, right? You were listening in just as much as I wa-"

Rukia raised her fist to her mouth and coughed into it, her faced flushed as red as Rangiku's as she was called out. Byakuya sighed, one that his younger sister interpreted as his 'angry' sigh, and closed his eyes while walking away. The short woman quickly apologized before speeding after him.

"...Are you going to Muken? That is something Aizen should know, isn't it?"

As if Toshiro Hitsugaya were present, the entire area chilled as Gin's killing intent was felt from his position, and vice versa with Byakuya.

"...You're pickin' at dangerous words, Cap'n Kuchiki... It sounds like you're accusin' me of somethin' bad..."

Byakuya frowned and said, "I am," before continuing his walk to exit the area. Gin glared at him from over his shoulder before turning back to Rangiku, whose hands were once again on her hips as she tapped her feet impatiently. He knew as soon as she opened her mouth to rage on him, he would have to find his happy place.

"Damnit, Gin! Can't you just learn to play nice and stop antagonizing everyone!? I'm trying to help you win everyone's favor and you just keep fighting me every step of the way!"

_'Happy place...'_

"Gin, are you listening to me!?"

Realizing that she would continue to scream if he didn't answer, the Captain coughed into his fist, "I'm trying to care...but I just _can't_..."

Rangiku's jaws dropped wide as Gin turned away and walked off with his hands in his pockets. She turned away and sighed before realizing that there was an audience present.

"...Oh! You guys are the Humans that visiting here, right?"

Ryo nodded as she watched the entire exchange. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Tetsuo hadn't taken his eyes away from her cleavage, constantly muttering, "...Is this waiting for me in the afterlife? Oh man, I hope so...!"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Don't mind him. He's an idiot."

Rangiku ignored him, as she was quite used to it. She stared at the two and said, "Are you... Are you that Ichigo-guy's friends? The same ones that Saido complained about constantly after he returned?"

"...The guy with the straw hat like the Head-Captains? Then yeah."

She covered her mouth and said, "Man... I'd hate to tell this to you, but you better stay with a Captain... The woman in that room with you guys was Captain Sui-Feng."

When the two stared at her blankly, she elaborated, "She's the Captain of the Onmitsukido... The Stealth Force..."

_"Shit... The Onmitsukido..."_

_ Tetsuo looked at him confused and asked, "The Stealth Force? What, are these supposed to be Ninja or something? So what's with the fat one?"_

_ Ichigo's brows furrowed as he responded, "...In the Soul Society, there exists a group of special trained Soul Reapers known as the Onmitsukido, or the Stealth Force... I never knew that Soul Reaper was a member..."_

Tetsuo, who finally snapped out of his stupor, gaped and asked, "Wait, those three guys that Ichigo and the blonde guy killed...! Those were her...!?"

"...Subordinates... Her Lieutenant and her two highest-ranked members... Just between you and me, but some part of me believes she's not too keen on helping you guys..."

Ryo got the message clear as daylight: The woman might get her revenge for that humiliation through either them or Ichigo. That meant that they needed to keep an eye out for her.

Suddenly, the two was shocked as they were suddenly pulled away by Rangiku as she excitedly screamed, "Both of you guys should just come to my Division! I'll show you both how the Soul Reapers get down!"

Neither one of them sensed the silent Captain of the Second Division leaning against the wall around the corner from them.

* * *

"The guests have all turned in for the night, Captain Kyoraku..."

Shunsui nodded and said, "That's good..."

He stood out on his balcony watching the night sky as Nanao stacked a set papers. She placed them down before turning to her Captain.

"...Head-Captain, if I may..."

Shunsui frowned and interrupted, "You wish to know why we're doing this... Watching over Humans and Quincies..."

She grimaced as she was easily figured out and gazed down at her feet. The man turned on his heels and faced her.

"...There's no need to feel ashamed... I would've been an idiot if I didn't think my subordinates would easily accept them..."

Nanao glanced back at him and asked, "Then why?"

"...I owe a great debt to Isshin for what he did... It would bring great shame to Soul Society if we abandoned everything he stood for..."

She turned away from him as she again questioned, "So we're risking lives...for him? Three of the Second Division's top warriors were killed trying to save him, and its clear that he's a true Wandenreich now... Will we really sacrifice more lives just to save some kid who might not even want to come back?"

The Head-Captain's brows furrowed deeper than before as he mumbled, "...For whom do we fight for, Nanao?"

"...Wha...? I don't under-"

He frowned and repeated, "For whom do we protect?"

"...The...Humans...and ourselves, I guess... But wha-"

Shunsui turned back on his heel to gaze outside as he said, "Quincy fall under that Human category. We all just want a peaceful world... I have no intentions of exterminating the Quincy, but I have every intention on ensuring this war ends... Is that clear enough...?"

Nanao blinked in confusion as he concluded, "That man did everything he could to save Soul Society from Aizen's clutches...but his main goal from the very beginning was to protect his son... So it would dishonor us all if we too didn't kill two birds with a single st-"

He was cut off as a large explosion resonated behind him, and he and Nanao turned as a large, glowing spear embedded itself in the wall. Two Seated Officers were pinned to the wall together.

Directly in front of them, six masked individuals wearing robes of white stood nonchalantly, much to the Head-Captain's chagrin. The leader of them glanced to the side at the two corpses of the Soul Reapers before turning back to the Head-Captain.

"...Were you about to say something about killing two birds with one stone?"


	26. Thousand Year Blood War: Prelude

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"...Wow, Mr. Wandenreich, sir... I wasn't expecting you guys so early."

The Quincy stood valiantly with his fellow comrades as if they were preparing to fight. Shunsui tilted his hat slightly and placed his right hand on his Zanpakuto, while Nanao's hand moved inside of her sleeve to draw forth her own.

"You appear to be on edge, Shunsui Kyoraku... But it seems you already know about us, since you deliberately used that title... Have you been in contact with Kisuke Urahara's group?"

The Head-Captain's bottom lip poked out in a sarcastic pout as he bemoaned, "How do you guys get your information? There's no way that you could have known that..."

The Wandenreich soldier raised his finger to his mask in a silencing gesture.

"...Loquacity is silver, and silence is golden... It seems I spoke too much, haven't I? I'm sorry, but I can't diverge that."

Shunsui's eyes narrowed as the sliding metal sound rung through the room, alerting all of the Quincy to his next prepared strike.

"...Tch... Sadly, we're not here to fight... I'm just here to tell you...that in seven days..."

The Quincy was interrupted as he hopped over the quick, nimble slash of Nanao. Before he could retaliate, the Head-Captain quickly moved in front of her and pushed her back while blocking the Quincy's kick.

However, even Nanao was rendered speechless when the man closest to the leader Quincy pulled his hand out of his cloak, revealing his Quincy Cross and forming his weapon. The graphic scene of watching the bullet pierce the Head-Captain's eye moved in complete slow-motion to her.

He fully drew his blades and yelled out, "Flower Wind rage and Flower God roar, Heavenly Wind rage and Heavenly Demon sneer!_ Katen Kyokotsu_!"

The Zanpakuto transformed into large, black scimitars with silver edges, each with a red tassel on the hilt. He spun on his toes and cried, "_Bushogoma!_"

The Quincy all jumped out of the way as the swirling winds shredded the wooden floors and walls as it tore through the room. Shunsui gritted his teeth and looked over his shoulder as the six Quincy landed on the balcony railing behind him.

The middle one shrugged and said, "That's not our fault... But oh well... As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, In seven days, Soul Society shall be rent asunder by the Wandenreich... You better prepare."

Nanao gasped as each of the Quincy leaped backwards from the railing, falling towards the ground. She rushed towards the rails while screaming, "Oi! Wait a minute! You-"

"Stop."

The pained voice of the Head-Captain caused her to turn around and run back to his position. His eye socket gushed out a waterfall of blood, barely being held back by his hand.

"Captain, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! H-Help! Anybody! We need Captain Kotetsu!"

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open with Ryuken and Uryu being the first to enter. Ryo and Tetsuo, holding Yoruichi in his hand, followed after, confusion on their faces.

` "What the hell happened!?"

Shunsui looked up at the group as he panted out, "...The Wandenreich's made their play..."

* * *

"And you mean to tell me that you didn't sense a thing!? That you couldn't even sense a fellow Quincy!?"

Isane whined softly as she struggled to keep Sui-Feng from attacking Ryuken as the man stood calmly on the side of Shunsui. Even Uryu, however, knew that the dam to his father's inner turmoil would soon burst at any given opportunity.

"...They were using some kind of Reishi Camoflauge... I didn't sense a thing until the Head-Captain's attack went off..."

Sui-Feng growled out, "Bullshit! You led them straight to us!"

Byakuya was soon added to the list of people trying to hold Sui-Feng down. Mayuri Kurotsuchi sighed heavily and said, "It doesn't bode well for you Quincy... It can't be a coincidence that these invaders arrived the same night you all appear."

Ryo held her face in her hands as she sat back against the wall. They hadn't even stayed a night and now they're already being accused of aiding an attempted assassination. Tetsuo followed suit and scratched at his cheek and groaned, "...This isn't gonna let up at all-"

"All of you, _shut up_."

While all of the Captains were arguing over the loyalties of the Human guests, Shunsui sat in his chair with his face buried in his hand. His wounded eye under his new eye-patch, coupled with the headache he was receiving from the loud noise in the hall, made for a very unhappy Head-Captain.

"I will not tolerate any more harassment to the Kurosaki's guests. They were not at all the cause of this incident."

Nanao frowned and said, "But...how do yo-?"

"...The Quincy with the loud mouth... That man could not have known that we were in contact with Kisuke Urahara unless he followed him... And there's no way that Urahara would allow anyone to follow him unless he wanted them to... The only way he'd know our contacts...is if he knew the man himself."

As her quick-witted mind always worked, Ryo covered her mouth up to contain her gasp as she and everyone realized what Shunsui was implying.

"Only one Quincy truly knows Kisuke Urahara... And there's no possible way that these guests would let Ichigo Kurosaki into Soul Society and not make an attempt to capture him."

* * *

"You handled yourself pretty well. I thought you would've cracked..."

As the six figures marched towards the throne room, the leading figure reached up for his mask before gripping it tightly and throwing it off. The months that had passed since his joining of the Wandenreich and the weeks since the following invasion gave the young teen a rugged appearance with his unkempt, longer orange hair.

Ichigo Kurosaki clicked his tongue in annoyance and said, "Just because my old friends were there didn't mean I was gonna break down, Berci."

The larger man ripped away his mask and laughed, "Oh, someone's feelin' sassy today."

The young Stern Ritter groaned and ignored him as they arrived at the throne room door. After a quick knock, the large door opened with a ear-ringing creaking sound and they all filed in one by one to stand in front of Yhwach, the King of the Wandenreich.

The elderly man grinned as he leaned back against his throne and asked, "...So did you deliver my message?"

Haschwalth and another quiet Stern Ritter removed their masks, and the right-hand of the Emperor stepped closer to the throne and nodded.

"While we were forced into a small confrontation due to the Lieutenant, the Head-Captain received a wound to his eye... But you should know this, Your Majesty, that Urahara's group has moved to the Soul Society, including the 'Special War Allies'..."

The man sat up in his seat in surprise, and frowned as he grumbled, "So that's what they were doing... I didn't expect this..."

Ichigo intended to ask about the 'Special War Allies', but he figured it was about his friends. After a moment of silent thought, Yhwach waved his Stern Ritter off and murmured, "You are all dismissed. In a week, the invasion will start. Be prepared."

* * *

"...If the group was there, then where was your mother and Urahara? I couldn't sense them anywhere..."

Ichigo marched purposefully away from the throne room while Giselle Gewelle kept up with him. He frowned and answered, "I don't know. Maybe they didn't come... Or maybe they went elsewhere."

Giselle placed her hand on her cheek as she blankly stared at Ichigo and murmured, "...You know, its okay... Even His Majesty knows how close they are to you..."

He paused in his footsteps and turned around with angry huff and snapped, "What are you talking about!?"

Undeterred, Giselle continued, "Your friends. You're worried about them and you're trying to keep that bottled up, pretending that you don't care."

Ichigo looked away from her and answered, "Of course I am... But if I let up now, any other Stern Ritter could easily take advantage of that. I can't... I don't want them to be placed in harm's way."

Her gaze fell as he turned around and began walking away. As he left, she heard footsteps clacking behind her, causing her to gaze over her shoulder as Haschwalth appeared.

He closed his eyes and sighed, "...I knew that the children were trying to find a way to enter the afterlife... I didn't think they would've made it... It's going to make him even more reluctant to help us if his friends are involved..."

"...I know... And I'm afraid His Majesty's going to clearly use that against him..."

* * *

"Step forward! All of you line up with your backs against the wall, and face the Captain!"

An entire row of Arrancars were being line up and pushed around by the Wandenreich officers across the white sands of Hueco Mundo. One who had acted up in the eyes of an officer was stabbed by a large spear. He then planted the spear into the ground, leaving the corpse in the air in order to serve as a warning.

Behind a large rock, Masaki and her team peeked around it and blanched at the scene.

"...I'm almost disgusted to be a Quincy... Luppi, don't look."

The young Privaron Espada never turned to look in the first place. Orihime sighed mournfully and said, "Isn't there anything we could about them?"

Chad shook his head and denied, "That would only give away our position..."

Kisuke frowned and peeked further around the rock, noticing that a single man stood in front of the Arrancars and the Quincy. He wore a black-peaked white hat, glasses, and a short white cape. The man flicked his short, cropped hair as he stared down every one of the Arrancars.

"Today, you should all rejoice... Rejoice the fact that you can also work under His Majesty...! If you wish to join us in celebration, all you have to do is kneel down and lick my boots!"

One of the Arrancars slowly raised his hand, causing the man to slowly turn in his direction. The Arrancar mumbled, "What if... What if I swear my allegiance to-?"

The slave was interrupted as Quilge too stabbed him with a spear and left it standing.

"That's not how this game works! Kiss my boots, or die trying!"

Orihime covered her mouth with her hand and cried lowly, "He's just...playing with them..."

Right in front of her, Masaki's eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at him. Her eyes snapped shut as she heard the loud cries of the Arrancar being eliminated.

_"__I understand how you're always thinking about your mother and the Quincy as a whole. Always considering what's best for the future, taking into account all the consequences of your actions. And I honestly admire the way you're able to do that. But you see, I'm not you, Ryu. To me, 'taking proper care of myself' means making sure I do what I can in the here and now. Because if I decided not to take action because of rules and customs and somebody died because I did nothing, I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself for that."_

She stared down at her gloved hand, flexing the altered Sanrei glove that Kisuke had made for her after the bangle failed against Yhwach. It was blue and white, and had the symbol of a skull on it.

Kisuke noticed her longing gaze and sharply whispered, "Masaki, don't...! I know you want to, but don-!"

He was cut off as Masaki pushed his face against the rock as she stood up and marched around the rock. Many of the Quincy and remaining Arrancar turned in her direction. One of them began slowly easing his way in her direction.

"Hey, are you an Arrancar!? Get in line!"

As she simply stared at him, the Quincy walked closer and roared, "I'm talking to you! Don't make me-Blearrgghh!"

He gargled as blood rose through his throat from the Heilig Pfiel piercing his neck. As soon as the shock wore off, a group of Wandenreich officers burst into action and took formations around her. Just as quickly, they all fell to the ground in explosions of gruesome blood and gore, showering her in the substance.

The Captain unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards her, materializing two extensions from the hand guard. Masaki's eyes widened as a torrent of arrows flow in her direction, kicking up sand and dust and blocking her from the Captain's vision.

Quilge Opie frowned as the smoke was cleared, and he could see the pale-blue glowing from within.

"...Tch, the 'Iron Maiden', indeed... Masaki Kurosaki... For what reason are you here?"

The Blut Vene faded from her body as she threw an arrow away from her. With little emotion expressed on her face, Masaki held her left hand out and created a Reishi bow on the top of her wrist.

Quilge frowned as he though to himself, _'She's reported to have lost her powers when she fought His Majesty... Did Kisuke Urahara forge a new weapon for her?'_

His thoughts were cut off as he was forced to dodge her return fire.

* * *

"...Understood."

The Communications Officer swiveled around in his chair and turned to face Yhwach who sat with a bored expression, his fist buried into his cheek.

"Your Majesty..."

The Emperor's gaze moved to the officer, causing the man to sweat at his heated gaze. Pulling at his tie nervously, the officer continued, "...For reasons unknown, Quilge Opie has made contact with Masaki Kurosaki in Hueco Mundo...and that Kisuke Urahara is there as well..."

Yhwach leaned forward from his throne as he blankly stared into space before a slow, malicious smile etched its way across his face. He began chuckling lowly as he mumbled, "I do not know why you've made your move so early, but you should have though twice before making it, Masaki Kurosaki..."

He rose from his throne quickly and marched down the stairs. One of the communications officers was bold enough to ask, "Wh-Where are you going, Your Majesty!?"

Without turning to face either of them, he explained, "...I'm taking advantage of the fact that they've put themselves out of the fight... While they are gone, we're going to Soul Society... This invasion begins _now_."

Each of the officer's frightful eyes grew wider as the man ordered, "Tell the Stern Ritter to meet at the Gate of the Sun. We're going to war."

* * *

"Young Master, are you alright? Maybe you need a lie do-"

Gina Dokugamine was cut off from her consoling of Ichigo as the alarms of the empire went off, causing Ichigo to leap out of his bed and his attendant to stood upright.

Ichigo growled and cursed, "What the hell is this!? Are we being invaded!?"

_ "Listen up! All Stern Ritter are to report to the Gate of the Sun __**now**__! This is not a drill! Masaki Kurosaki and Kisuke Urahara are doing battle with the Stern Ritter 'J', Quilge Opie, in Hueco Mundo now! The invasion is starting in an hour!"_

* * *

Haschwalth grimaced as he heard the alarm and cursed, "Shit...! Is His Majesty trying to set Ichigo off on purpose!?"

One of his blonde attendants frightfully stared at the alarm and murmured, "Oh no... Master Kurosaki..."

The man grimaced and stormed out of his room and yelled, "Find Gina and take look out in Hueco Mundo! Don't let Kisuke Urahara or Masaki Kurosaki see you! I want to find out why the hell are they in Hueco Mundo!"

"Wha-!? Master Haschwalth, I-!"

The Stern Ritter Grandmaste interrupted her and roared, "Don't _argue_ with me! I don't trust His Majesty's most loyal supporter anywhere near that boy's mother! Get to it!"


	27. Thousand Year Blood War: Back in White

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

Quilge grimaced as he ducked under another arrow and was brought face first into Masaki's slippers, skidding across the sandy dunes from the sheer force of her kick. He looked up as she raised her hand to a forty-five degree angle in the air and softly murmured, "Feuerwerk."

A single Heilig Pfiel shot from her wrist into the air. Like its namesake, it exploded in the air and fell from the sky in multiple sparkling pellets, raining down on Quilge. He grunted as his Blut Vene did little to erase the pressure, but he wasn't able to make an escape.

Masaki stood by as the man was enshrouded by dust and smoke from her attack, waiting for him to make his next move. After a moment of silence, she finally heard the shuffling of his feet as he carried himself away from the aftermath.

"...My, oh my... I guess I really need to work on my skills if a 'Daywalker' has the skills to surpass me."

She scowled at his choice of words and questioned, "What was that? What do you mean by 'Daywalker'?"

Quilge raised his eyebrows in surprise and placed his finger on his lip and murmured, "Sorry, I spoke too much... But before I end you, I wish to ask something..."

Masaki's frown deepened as she prepped her bow and prepared to fire. Ignoring her movements, Quilge tilted his head and asked, "...Why are you here? Are you looking for your son?"

"Naturally."

His visage seemed to darken as he brushed his small crop of hair out of his face and mumbled, "Well, the Fräulein is mistaken... He's not here. He left here after aiding in the Queen's raid."

"...I know this. You're giving me old information."

His annoying smiled seemed to grow wider as he continued, "By this time, he should be in Soul Society... He's already given them the message..."

When he spoke those words, everyone's ears perked up, and Masaki's bow began to slowly lose power. Taking advantage of their shocked expression, he revealed, "Headquarters has already been confirmed of yours and Kisuke Urahara's little tour here... As soon as they realized that you both were here, His Majesty ordered the all-out invasion of the enemy forces... And your son, the Stern Ritter 'M', is a part of it..."

Masaki's eyes widened, and she quickly looked over her shoulder to Kisuke, who yelled out, "I'm already on it! I'll have the Garganta up in just a second, and I'm alerting the Soul Society!"

"It's too late!"

She turned back to the Stern Ritter, who tightened his fist with a maniacal expression. He laughed, "It's too late for that! The invasion's already begun!"

He then reached for his own glove and began to take it off, revealing his black Sanrei glove, much to the shock of his foes.

_'...A...black Sanrei glove?'_

"Quincy... Vollstandig!"

The Reiatsu poured off of him in rolling waves as a Reishi Cross emerged from beneath his feet and towered to the night sky. It began to break down into glass-like shards until it revealed the Stern Ritter, who was covered in Reishi-like armor with a halo and wings.

"...Biskiel..."

Embracing the shocked features of his opponent's face, Quilge readied his new Reishi sword and taunted, "Don't worry, Mrs. Kurosaki... You will see your son soon..."

* * *

"Head-Captain! A phone call from Kisuke Urahara! He's calling about something important!"

Shunsui held his hand out as Nanao ran towards him with her Denreishiki on her ear. She dropped it into his hand as he placed it against his ear and asked, "And what is this call for? Have you figured something out...?"

He frowned slightly as he heard the static of the phone barely over the explosions in the distant background.

"Urahara? Oi!"

After a moment of silence, the voice finally picked back up.

_"Ugh! Ah, Captain Kyoraku! Listen to me!"_

Shunsui's head bowed down as he pressed the object closer to his ear and said, "I'm listening. Did you find out about the kid?"

_"Ichigo's not in Hueco Mundo! We've already confirmed that fact through the Quincy Masaki's fighting...!"_

He grimaced at the information before saying, "We told you both that... We were going to check Hueco Mundo out later after the invasi-"

_ "...because he and all of the other Stern Ritter are invading Soul Society __**now**__! They are in Soul Society now!"_

At that precise moment, Shunsui looked over his shoulder as towers of blue flames exploded through across the Seireitei, causing Nanao to gasp as they both stumbled towards the balcony.

* * *

"Gin! Hey, Gin, what are you doing!?"

Gin Ichimaru sighed as he realized that Rangiku had caught him doing something again. All we wanted to do was say hello to Kira and Toshiro...through a barrage of fireworks.

He bit his lip and motioned for her to go away. When she didn't budge as she held her angered expression, he sighed and murmured, "...Rangiku, jus'...just turn ya head away for a couple o' seconds..."

He yelped as she gripped his left arm tightly and pulled him away from his box of newly-bought fireworks. As he cried out in pain, she roared, "Damnit, why do I have to be the adult in these situations!? Gin, you make me wanna drink a bottle every now and then!"

"Oi, don't blame me 'cause you're a drunk!"

Before she could have time to be enraged, a pillar of flames erupted in front of her, causing her to drop Gin as she stared into it.

"What the...? What's going on...!?"

She heard Gin scream behind her, "Rangiku, move!"

Before she had a chance to react, she was pushed out of the way as her Captain yelled, "Shoot him dead, Shinso!"

She watched as his Zanpakuto extended far beyond their reach into the flames. Gin began to sweat as he felt a tug on his blade, and he barely heard the cry of his Lieutenant as he was pulled away by something, being dragged closer to the flames as they cleared up.

Retracting his Zanpakuto in mid-pull, Gin rolled onto his back and up to his feet again before swinging at the invader's head. The clanging of metal signaled that the person blocked with their own weapon. As the Captain was rebounded back, he reared his right hand back before thrusting forwards. The enemy moved his head out of the way before raising his right hand up, revealing his gun.

"Gin!"

A feat only revealed in rare occasions, Gin eyes snapped wide open as he felt the bullet penetrate through his left shoulder, severing it from his torso.

"...'Shoot him dead'? That's my line, youngster."

* * *

"Grrraaggghhh! Nooo-!"

The screaming Soul Reaper was abruptly cut off as his head was crushed under the heel of one of the invaders. Seeing the death of their fellow comrade, many of the Soul Reapers screamed and began running. One of them, however, was brave enough to continue fighting.

"No! We have to stand and fight! Don't let these invaders overrun us!"

He charged towards the enemy with a yell before his head was abruptly severed from his body. Bambietta yawned boredly as she watched the body fall helplessly to the ground.

"...This sucks... Ain't there supposed to be some kinda... Captain or somethin'?"

She sighed as the men began running until she heard a tiny, child-like voice quip, "There she is, Kenny! That's the invader!"

Bambietta raised an eyebrow as she turned around and locked eyes with a large man with an eyepatch. He wore nothing on his upper body except his long-sleeved Captain's Haori, and on his waist was a golden belt that had the Kanji for "Kenpachi" etched into it.

The man narrowed his eyes as he gazed upon the young woman, whose heel continued to dig into the head of the man below her. Bambietta blanched as she the man.

"...Yuck... Hey, ugly... You any good at swinging that large sword?"

Zaraki Kenpachi's eyes narrowed as he gazed upon her, and for an unknown reason, she reminded him of someone. That caused a smirk to form on his face as he mumbled, "Looks like I won't be bored anymore..."

* * *

"...What are you doing, boy? Don't interrupt my research."

Ciara Varuton was annoyed. She had finally managed to snag the living body of a Soul Reaper, who was tied up and gagged in front of her, and she now had to deal with the appearance of an annoying Captain.

Byakuya Kuchiki frowned as he stared at the woman. She briefly reminded him of Mayuri, but he had a feeling that she was more like someone else. In response, he simply drew his Zanpakuto from his waist.

The Stern Ritter sighed deeply before standing to her feet and turning to face him. When she saw him, her facial features changed slightly, causing a wide smile to grow on her face.

"...Oh... We have a brand new specimen here, do we...? So young...and gorgeous... Are you willing to be my new test subject...? I promise to be nice and gentle... I really don't want to ruin that pretty face."

Byakuya said nothing, and simply watched for any sudden movements. The woman's smile extended at his lack of response, causing her to comment, "A silent one...? That's good...as a matter of fact, that's _perfect_... I _hate_ when my subjects make complaints..."

As the Captain's eyes narrowed, the Stern Ritter's mouth widened far enough to reveal her teeth.

* * *

Shunsui grimaced as the explosions went off, and he turned to his Lieutenant.

"Nanao, I need you to get our guests to a safe place. I'm going out to-"

He paused in his words as a large spear flew near his head, causing to turn around slowly. A Stern Ritter stood in front of his exit, another spear appearing in his hand. The man chuckled and said, "It's funny... It's been half a day since I've been here, and I'm already getting another good look!"

"...You were with Ichigo Kurosaki last night, weren't you?"

The large Quincy shrugged and laughed, "Of course! I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a chance to scrap with the Head-Honcho himself!"

Shunsui tilted his hat in preparation as the man reared back to throw another spear.

* * *

Ryo shuddered as the building began rumbling with explosions, causing Tetsuo to fall over on the ground. As he rubbed his sore head, he cried out, "Is... Is this a drill or something!?"

The door to their small room slammed open, revealing Nanao. She motioned for them to follow her as she yelled, "The Wandenreich are attacking! I have to get you both out of this building and to the lower prisons! Please follow me now!"

She didn't have to repeat it twice as the two got to their feet immediately and followed her out of the room and down the hallway just as another explosion rocked the building. They ran to the end of the hall and made way towards a door at the end of the hallway.

Nanao stopped as a stray Reishi Spear found its way towards the Humans. She jumped in the way and blocked it with her Zanpakuto before throwing it in another direction.

"Keep running straight! You'll find an forest for you to hide in! If you find a pathway that leads underground, get inside!"

The two continued to run without turning back. After exiting the doorway, they stormed across the stone streets of the Seireitei, littered with ruins and wreckage as they turned another corner, unaware of the pair of eyes watching their backs.

* * *

"You shall not pass!"

Haschwalth's blade thought otherwise as he swiftly cut down another Soul Reaper. He sheathed his sword and stared down the other Soul Reapers as they raised their blades up, but was too afraid to make the next move.

"Be purged, Soul Reapers. This is day that your world will stop turning."

He stopped as he heard a chuckle behind him, and looked around to see Yhwach and Ichigo hovering in the air above him. The Quincy Emperor quipped, "How dramatic, Haschwalth... If you want to kill them, go ahead... It matters not."

Haschwalth nodded and turned back to the Soul Reapers, who held their blades above their heads as they screamed and charged towards the Stern Ritter Grandmaster. It was the quick and efficient display of blade work that ended their lives quickly as the man stared down at the fallen bodies.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yhwach noticed that Ichigo turned away from the sight. The teenager jumped when the man called out, "That's something you should always hold close to you, Kurosaki."

When he turned to the old man, the man continued, "...It's better that you don't revel in bloodshed like a mindless beast... It is never a pretty sight."

Ichigo scowled and denied, "I could care less about any of that... I'm just...waiting for the right time, I suppose... That's all."

He huffed in anger when the man made a small noise of amusement and turned back to Haschwalth.

"Are you staying here, or are you waiting for the right time as well, Haschwalth?"

The man began, "I shall follow you, Your Majesty... Just in case Yamamoto's pupils decided to-"

He stopped in his sentence as Ichigo's eyes snapped wide open. Looking towards him, he called out, "Ichigo, what's wrong?"

In a sudden flash of movement, Ichigo dashed out of their sights, causing the two to blink in confusion. Yhwach pointed his thumb in the direction that he left in and asked, "Where is he going?"

In response, Haschwalth simply shrugged, and hoped that Ichigo would do anything too stupid.

* * *

"Come on! I can see a bridge!"

Ryo nodded tiredly as she and Tetsuo continued to run through the ruined wastelands. They had no idea how long they had been running, but it seemed to never end. After passing through a series of barracks along the way, they saw a wooden bridge over a moat.

As they made their way closer, a quick shadow appeared in front of them. Tetsuo made an sound of fearful surprise as he was kicked into the ground. Ryo screamed as she pulled up by her neck, and found herself staring into a pair of cold-gray orbs.

"...You... I knew it from the very beginning... When the Head-Captain allowed you inside of the Seireitei...that you would bring the downfall of Soul Society..."

Ryo's breath hitched in her throat as the Second Division Captain and Commander of the Stealth Forces, Sui-Feng, glared into her eyes before dropping her onto the ground. She cried out as she fell on her back and crawled away from the Captain as she slowly inched her way towards the Human, drawing her Zanpakuto the entire time.

"...First, the infiltration, and now we've been outright invaded...! You, and that damn Kurosaki boy! Ever since his name popped up, everyone here's lost sight of their goal to protect the Soul Society!"

Ryo held her hand out as if it would stop the Captains in her tracks, but the angry Captain simply stabbed her blade through her hand and slowly moved it out of her way as she stomped on the girl's chest, causing her to scream. She leaned in closer to the girl while slowly pulling her Zanpakuto out of her hand.

"I've lost too many comrades...because of that brat... Because of you Humans..."

Off to the side, Tetsuo pulled himself up while moaning, "No... Stop... Stop!"

Sui-Feng raised her blade high above her head, and her face shifted to an emotionaless expression as she murmured, "Once I kill all of our 'guests', I will end Ichigo Kurosaki with my own hands... I will not watch as my people...as my home is crushed under the palm of a maniacal Quincy!"

Before she could stab her blade into the teen, she was shoved away. Quickly retaliating, Sui-Feng grabbed the assailant by his shirt and swung upwards.

Ryo and Tetsuo were both rendered speechless, but for completely different reasons. The teenage girl gaped silently in shock and despair as Tetsuo slowly fell to his knees in front of the Captain, the blood spraying from the large slash on his chest.

"N-No...Tetsuo... T-Tetsuo...!"

He crumpled onto the ground in front of the Captain, flat in his own essence of life. Ryo didn't have time to mourn or do much else as the woman turned her attention back to her.

"Sorry for that little interruption..."

Sui-Feng moved forward a step before a hand gripped her ankle, causing her to look over her shoulder at the wounded boy on the ground. With mirthless chuckle and a bloody smile on his face, Tetsuo quipped, "I can't... I can't let you..."

With a low growl, the Captain quickly brought her blade back to slash at his hand. The grin was wiped off of his face as he looked down at his bloody stump. The blood loss was too great for him, as he began losing conscious quickly.

_'...Sorry Ichigo... I can't...be the Superhero that you were... You have to at least give me credit for trying, right?'_

He felt the woman grip him by his neck and hefted him up to face her properly. Sui-Feng stared at him face-to-face and commented, "You'd go as far as risking your life for a friend... That's quite heroic... What do you think, Ichigo Kurosaki...?"

Sui-Feng dropped the teenager on the ground next to Ryo before turning around and looking directly at Ichigo, who stood idly with an unamused expression on his face. The girl also looked beyond the Soul Reaper, and gaped silently as she saw him there, his white cape flowing with the wind.

_'...I-Ichigo... Is that...really you...?'_

"...This was a message, Ichigo Kurosaki."

An angry snarl emerged from his lips as he gritted his teeth in an enraged expression, clearly unhappy.

"...And I thought Soul Reapers were supposed to save and protect Humans... What bullshit...!"

Sui-Feng's mouth curled down in rage and she said, "This!? You call _this bullshit_!? But you and your friends justify killing my subordinates!? My top three subordinates!?"

_"Captain Feng!"_

_Haschwalth and Ichigo both stared in disbelief as an annoyed, feminine voice rung through the device and drawled, **"Watch your tone, Third Seat. Do not scream at me."**_

_"This is important...we've trapped Ichigo Kurosaki, but a friend of his has come to his aid... Fourth Seat Kibune and Lieutenant Omaeda are both K.I.A."_

_He frowned and whispered, "I request an application for the release of my limiter...so I can take them both down with my Bankai."_

_The area was render silent as everyone held their breath while waiting for the answer. In preparation, Haschwalth took a step forward and gripped his Spirit Weapon tighter._

_After minutes of silence, the voice of the Captain came through and announced, **"Your application for license has been accepted. Do not fail."**_

_The Soul Reaper's grin turned particularly wicked as a tattoo of a tilted pasque flower appeared on his chest and then suddenly, he exploded into Reiatsu. Ichigo's eye twitched as he was nearly blasted off of his feet from the tremendous force, and had to keep his arms in front of him to keep it from hitting his face._

_A demented laugh emanated from within the Reiatsu. The man explained, "This is the power of a Captain-leveled Soul Reaper! That tub of lard ain't worth shit compared to me or my Captain! Without that mask, you won't even survive!"_

Ichigo's features molded into confusion until he realized who she was referring to. This woman was the leader of the three Stealth Force members that Haschwalth had killed in Kagamino. Upon realization, his anger was stressed and defined in his features and voice.

"They had it coming! When you ordered them to come after me was what sealed their fates!"

In response, she roared, "When you intruded upon the Soul Reapers' mission was when you sealed yours! You damn Quincy and your stubborn ways! Even a fucking massacre wasn't enough to put you all in your places!"

She held her Zanpakuto out, which was his cue to forge his Reishi short sword. She held her blade high and roared, "This is what I've been waiting for! This is my chance to get my revenge for humiliating me...my officers...my division! Sting this _bastard_ to death, _**Suzumebachi**_!"

* * *

Trivia:

-Feuerwerk is German for "Fireworks". A single Heilig Pfiel shoots into the air before exploding into a rain of Heilig Pfiel.

- Fräulein is an old German term for a young woman who isn't married, or is not yet a woman (Misses). He's actually poking at her dead husband rather than calling her a young woman.


	28. Thousand Year Blood War: Wrong Side

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"...Oh God... Where's a medic...? I have to...move you...Tetsuo..."

Ryo groaned as she hefted the unconscious boy over her shoulders, covering herself in his blood. She took a single glance at the nearby battle of rage before slowly turning and dragging herself away from it.

"...Hang tight...Ichigo...I'll be back with someone...as soon as I get Tetsuo...to a-"

She didn't get very far, as her eyes caught sight of the flowing black leggings of the Soul Reaper. Finally gazing up, she made eye contact with a man dressed in a straw hat. Her first reaction was to move closer until she realized that this man wasn't the Head-Captain.

"...Aghh...You..."

Ekichiro Saido stared down at her with his arms crossed. She knew that he too was a member of the Onmitsukido, and realized that this was the end. Tetsuo was going to bleed out here and die, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Ryo narrowed her eyes as she stared at him and said, "If you're going to end it, do it now... I'll just hope that Ichigo actually kills you and that woman this time..."

"...That boy needs to be taken to Captain Kotetsu now..."

Jaws dropping wide in disbelief, Ryo's scowl deepened as she exclaimed, "No shit, Sherlock! How long did it take you to figure that one out!?"

Saido continued to stare at her before he mumbled, "...I can take the both of you to her... If the Captain uses her Bankai, you both might get caught in the aftermath..."

Now she was definitely confused. He wasn't helping his Captain?

"...And why would you help us...?"

He sighed, "The Captain is just misguided... All she needs is an ass-whoopin'... And from what I can tell, that kid's gonna dish out the hurt this time..."

He looked up to the sky as Ichigo and Sui-Feng clashed again, sending shock waves echoing through the clearing.

"...He's not the same...as the tough talkin' kid in Kagamino..."

* * *

"...I don't understand... I don't understand why the Head-Captain keeps wasting his time on you!"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as she dove in for another strike. He's done well in dodging them all currently, but he knew if that fat ninja could move faster than this, then she wasn't taking him seriously at all.

As he prepared himself, he mumbled, "...I'm just as confused as you are...!"

The tip of her golden stinger clashed against the flat side of his blade, pushing him back. As she moved in for another attack, he spun around and attempted a left-sided backhand. It was promptly blocked as she brought her left leg up, wrapping it around his elbow, and brought her right-leg up to the back of his neck.

_'Flexible...!'_

With his right leg, he pushed off of her thigh and used the momentum to get away. As he slid away from her, he realized that she had moved behind him before he even had a chance. Her right heel was raised high above her head as she prepared to bring it down on his head.

She roared, "You're not fast enough, boy!"

He barely had a chance to move his head out of the way, but the attack landed on his shoulder. His eye twitching and gritting his teeth, it took all he could not to scream as he felt his entire left shoulder crumbled under the pressure.

"Fighting me in close combat in useless!"

His cheek dug into his left jawline as she brought her leg to nail him there, sending him soaring across the sky into a set of nearby barracks. The Captain watched as the building erupted into smoke and dust, adding on to the ruined backdrop of the Seireitei.

"...That kinda hurt..."

Her eyes rolled to her right as Ichigo dusted himself off on the building next to her. He then turned back to her and murmured, "I can't believe this... Why do I keep getting' my ass kicked by women...? First Bambietta, then Neliel... Graagh..."

He snapped his right fingers out into the air, which began glowing blue as the Reishi gathered around it. Sui-Feng's eyes narrowed as she wondered what he was going to use next.

"...It's not going to help you..."

Ichigo scoffed before bringing the tips of his finger to his face.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

"...He's going to be fine... You just rest here..."

The scene was very familiar to her. She really hoped she wouldn't have to sit in another hospital for an injured friend. Ryo sighed as the Fourth Division Captain, Isane Kotetsu, gripped her shoulder tightly before turning back to check on Tetsuo.

"...Told you he'd be fine."

Ryo huffed in annoyance as Saido stood next to her with his arms crossed.

"...You know...you never answered my question..."

The man looked down at her with an eyebrow raised before she repeated, "Why did you help us instead of finishing what your Captain started...?"

"...Because I didn't want to get in trouble..."

When she blinked in confusion, the Lieutenant elaborated, "...You are the Head-Captain's guests... Regardless of our own feelings, to disobey him is treason. As much as I understand my Captain, I can't join her in prison..."

"Understand her feelings? Understand her feelings!?"

He stood unperturbed as the teenager stood up and gripped his collar angrily while shouting, "How the hell do you justify a Soul Reaper attacking a couple of defenseless Humans!? Aren't you all supposed to protect us!?"

"...Your friend, Ichigo Kurosaki... What do you think of him...?"

Ryo frowned, shaking her head as she didn't understand.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean!?"

Saido looked to his side, staring at the room that Tetsuo was being healed in, before looking back at her and saying, "I was originally ordered to kill Kurosaki before we discovered his identity... Shusuke, Marechiyo, and Makoto were all ordered to capture him alive and bring him back."

_Breathing out heavily, Ichigo settled himself into a stance before reaching in his back pocket. He frowned, and then felt around again. That time definitely confirmed it for him._

___ 'Shit! I forgot those lightsabers!'_

_ "Whatever you're looking for isn't gonna save you! I'll kill you and-"_

_ Before the man could finish, the dark-haired partner interrupted, "No, Omaeda. Don't kill him. Captain Feng told us to bring him back alive."_

_ The large man turned around and stared at the two Soul Reapers in complete disbelief. He threw his hands in the air and complained, "When did she say that!? Why would she tell ____you, __the Third Seat, and not ____me__, the Lieutenant!?"_

_ "...She told all of us, you lump of uselessness... When we reported Ichigo Kurosaki to her. The Head-Captain himself ordered us to bring this kid alive."_

_ Omaeda's form dropped in disbelief as he began stuttering, "Y-you mean the old fart said this himself?"_

_ The redhead raised an eyebrow and said, "...He's not that old, idiot."_

_ "Oi! What's this about taking me alive!?"_

_ The group turned back to Ichigo, who stood there with an angry look on his face. He heaved out a seemingly never-ending series of pants. The dark-haired man rose from his spot and hesitantly crept forward to the Quincy's position._

_ "...You mean... You have no idea of your father? Or anything he's done?"_

_ He stared incredulously at the man and asked, "You mean his former occupation as a Soul Reaper Captain...? Of course..."_

_After a moment of hesitation and thought, he roared, "So who the hell are you to tell me what I don't know about my father!?"_

_ The man sighed and said, "He doesn't know anything... Just knock him unconscious, so we can reeducate him at the Maggot's Nest."_

_ Omaeda turned to him and snarled, "I'm the one in charge here, buddy! What I say, goes! And I will knock him out so we can take him to the Maggot's Nest!"_

"...With that blonde Wandenreich, he killed them all when they were trying to save him... So again I ask... What do you think of your friend? A _friend_ who abandoned you, and all of his friends and family, to join the Soul Reaper's mortal enemy... Your group still has hope for him, that I understand... But what of the Gotei Thirteen? Why are _we_ risking are lives for _your_ friend after he killed all of our comrades...?"

Ryo's grasp on his clothing slowly let up as she backed away from him. He crossed his arms and further retreated into himself.

"...To be honest, most of the Stealth Force think he's a traitor... No matter what debt the Head-Captain believes we owe to his father, the boy abandoned everything his father stood for and ran to the Wandenreich. Would you want to continue risking your life for a traitor?"

In return, the teenaged girl roared, "He isn't! You talk like he's abandoned everything, but he hasn't! Why the hell do you think he's out there fighting that woman now!?"

"...You think it's about saving you two...? The moment your friend took the battle to us was the moment he made enemies with us... I told him from the very beginning that he didn't want me as his enemy... It's battle with one rabid dog trying to justify vengeance...and another trying to avenge injustice... I'll leave it you, little girl, to figure out who fits which role..."

* * *

"Aren't you going to come closer? Or are you waiting for me to get within your range...?"

Byakuya's trademarked blank expression marked his face as he stared at her. Ciara pouted as she waited for him to move or speak. He blinked once and continued to watch for movements.

"...You really don't talk much... Are you content with sitting here and checking me out?"

Another blink.

"...Are you sure you want me to initiate this fight? I don't want an advantage so early..."

After the longest stare-down of Ciara's life, Byakuya finally opened his mouth and spoke, "I realized...that you are not one to be taken lightly... Your mannerisms and speech patterns clearly speak of some scientist... And if you're anything like our own, then your intelligence surely surpasses mine."

The woman raised her brows and responded, "...Ah, you were able to diverge that by just my speech patterns...? Then you aren't one of the stupid ones... Not at all..."

"...I was also able to discover that your fighting technique isn't very good... You are clearly weakened, even though the body below you is an Unseated Soul Reaper... If you are one of the Stern Ritter, then your strength comes from your ability, and not physical skill."

Ciara narrowed her eyes at his words and shifted her weight to her other legs with her hands on her hips. She chuckled darkly and said, "And you wanted to see if I would use that ability first...? That I'd give away my secret moves just because its _'traditional'_?"

He simply his sword in front of him in response.

"...No. I know its already in use, so I don't want to step closer. If you Quincy can use Reishi to such a large extent, which fills the air of Soul Society, then I don't want to be in range... _Scatter_... _Senbonzakura_."

The Stern Ritter watched as the blade began glowing pink before separating into tinier blades like sakura petals in the spring. She frowned as the blades homed in on her position and leaped into the air to dodge.

"...My, aren't you interesting, Byakuya Kuchiki? But do you think your Shikai will be enough to catch me?"

Without blinking an eyelash, he replied, "And give you use of my Bankai? We've already received the reports and knowledge from Shusuke Amagai's battle...

_The circuit-board pattern of a hand appeared in front of Ichigo's face, throwing the flaming sword away from its original path, though not without repercussions. In Haschwalth's left hand, a large medal was aimed directly at Shusuke Amagai._

_ "...You did well as a test subject, Shusuke Amagai... You'll be the first person for us to test this on."_

_ He stood, shocked and confused, as his Bankai suddenly disappeared from his body. He watched in disbelief and fear as his greatest weapon was inaccessible. His right hand reached forward in an attempt to make one last effort._

_ With the same twitching hand, still caked with the embers from before, he summoned a Reishi Bow. Grabbing the unusual long arrow from the bow, he brought it down diagonally across Shusuke's chest from his shoulders, through his open-palmed hand, and then to the bottom of his waist._

"...We will not fall for such cheap tricks, Quincy."

Ciara frowned at the answer that was provided and sighed, "A great invention of mine...gone downhill... But you believe you can defeat me without Bankai?"

"We'll see abou-"

In the middle of the air, she disappeared, shocking him tremendously. His eyes widened as a finger poked him in the back, and then he gasped as he was pierced through his gut.

* * *

"...What a day..."

Gin grimaced slightly as he stared down at his bloody stump of a shoulder. His gazed moved to the elder Stern Ritter holding his Reishi Pistol as he waited for the Captain to make a move.

"Gin! Your arm!"

With narrowed, deadpanned eyes, Gin looked over at Rangiku disbelievingly and joked, "What arm?"

The strawberry blonde frowned in both fear and anger as she roared, "This isn't a laughing matter! You better take this guy seriously or he'll do it again!"

The Stern Ritter blinked and drawled, "Are you two really comrades? This is quite sad... One would believe that you both were a married couple."

Gin turned back to the man and chuckled while holding his hands out, "You're nosy... Who gave you permission to listen in on us?"

Suddenly, the elongated blade stretched again towards the Stern Ritter's direction, though he had seen the attack coming. He ducked under it and quickly dashed around him, attempting to strike from behind Gin.

"...Oh dear... I've already got you."

When the Captain's coat billowed with the winds, Shinso was revealed and pointed directly in the man's direction, causing his eyes to widen as Gin smiled widely and whispered, "...Shoot him dead, _Shinso_."

* * *

Sui-Feng's eyes widened as the Quincy's blade ran down her chest.

_'Even with Shunko activated...this boy can still catch up to me...? That damned mask...!'_

She flipped and slid across the ground and stared at Ichigo, who hovered in the air blankly as he waited. The dimmed light of Soul Society form dark shadows across his crystalline mask, giving it a more frightful appearance. His body was littered with marks reminiscent of a flower.

"...Tch, and what the hell are you just sitting there for...?"

He said nothing, but simply tilted his head as he continued to stare at her. She gritted her teeth and grounded out, "...You think to understand me or something...? It's clear that from the very moment you'd slain my subordinates that we were clear enemies. There is nothing to understand."

**"...You're right... There is nothing to understand... My apologies..."**

And again, he appeared in front of her and swiped at her legs, intending on halting her speed. She leaped over his strike and, with her right leg, lashed out at his mask. As he stumbled back, grimacing as the corner of his mask cracked, Sui-Feng quickly ran in to stab him with her Shikai.

Before she could touch him, he released an explosive shock wave of Reiatsu, causing her to trip and roll to her feet. As she tried to continue her attack, he raised his sword to take the brunt of her attack.

"Get back!"

He deflected her blow and kicked off of her, sending her flying and him on the other side of the clearing. Ichigo could feel most of his mask cracking, but he knew he had to continue regardless.

"...A Quincy and a Hollow...you're just full of monsters, aren't you?"

He narrowed his eyes as he ignored her furious taunts. He raised his gloved hand up slow and dramatic-like and prepared to pull it off while drawling out, "I suggest you use your Bankai if you want to live... I'm going to end this now before it gets out of hand..."

Her eyes narrowed as well, though for a completely different reason. Right as he was about to pull the glove off, he felt a sudden rise in pressure next to him, and turned his head slightly. He was unable to comprehend anything that happened as he was suddenly knocked off of his feet by an overwhelming force and sent flying through the barracks.

As Sui-Feng watched the events unfold, she sigh angrily from between her teeth and said, "It was clear from the start that this one was mine... Why are you interfering!?"

The dust and smoke that was kicked up from the sudden attack cleared and revealed the identity large, shadowy silhouette standing there.

"...Tch, I'm bored. No one's worth anything here except that kid and the boss... Either you move outta the way, or you'll get chopped up too!"

Relatively unharmed, Zaraki Kenpachi, without his Captain's Haori, rolled his shoulders as he stepped into the light with his sword slung on his shoulders.

Ichigo groaned as he pulled himself up from the broken bunk-bed. He panted heavily as he stared ahead through the destroyed wall at the extremely large man and grunted, "You...! Your Reiatsu... You were with Bambietta!"

"...Are you talking about that little girl...?"

Ichigo's eyes widened as the man scratched at his neck and simply stated, "She wasn't worth the dents she made in my sword with that Blut crap... So I just chopped her in half and got it over with so I could come here."

Luckily, he could still sense her Reiatsu signature from his position, so she was still alive... He just didn't know for how long.

_'...I can't waste my time with these bastards... I gotta get to Bambietta quick...'_

"...There's no need to rush anywhere... I'd worry more about yourself..."

The second voice, muffled as if it was covered by something, clearly shocked Ichigo, causing him to turn around as another hole was blasted into the wall behind him. He rolled towards Kenpachi and Sui-Feng and used Hirenkyaku to flash away.

As he slid back, he stared towards the hole, waiting for the third person to appear. He chuckled grimly, "...What's this? Some kinda welcoming party for me...?"

Ichigo tensed up as a hand clasped his shoulder tightly, causing his breath to hitch and stop. He was pushed forwards, closer to the middle of the group.

"...I'm afraid we're far beyond that, Ichigo Kurosaki... You've lost that privilege a long time ago..."

He finally turned and saw the identity of the last person, causing his brows to furrow in confusion. A white-haired child, dressed similarly to the Captains in the Soul Society, slowly eased forward. He held his Zanpakuto in his left hand.

Sui-Feng angrily huffed again and complained, "And what are you doing here, Captain Hitsugaya?"

His voice muffled by the teal scarf covering his mouth, he answered, "...To clear the name of my former Captain... I find it hard to believe that he risked everything for this world, and his son's the one to destroy it."

_Ichigo locked eyes with the man as he stared solely at him. His mouth opened for a second, whispering only a word before he began bleeding profusely from his wound. His upper body slowly slid off of his lower body like butter before it fell to the ground lifelessly._

_ Even though he couldn't hear, he read his lips clearly...and it confused him more than ever..._

___ "...Why...?"_

_ Why did this Soul Reaper speak like that? After trying to kill him...after they've proclaimed themselves as enemies...why did he speak as if he was some kind of traitor?_

The child turned back to Ichigo and continued, "...Your father's last request was to save you... But you've gone too far for that to matter... The Head-Captain may not understand, but better to stop you now than to let you ruin _his_ name any further... This _is _the only way to save you."

Ichigo's chest began bleeding profusely as the boy's sword quickly struck out and was sheathed within the same second.

"...For what it's worth...you're still human... You will be given a second chance in the afterlife..."

* * *

Trivia:

-I kinda knew everyone would start hating on Sui-Feng after what she did (Attacking the Humans was meant to be intentionally overboard, but everything else wasn't really unjustifiable). Saido's speech was to try and clear it up, and I'll just summarize it here:

Saido tries to kill Ichigo back in Chapter 6, before Ichigo's identity was confirmed to Saido. Back in Chapter 8, Shusuke confirms that the Onmitsukido were trying to save him on the orders of Shunsui and Sui-Feng. He didn't try to kill Ichigo until after Haschwalth appeared.

Sui-Feng is angry that they are still trying to save him _after _he practically took part in killing her subordinates and joined the Wandenreich. Just like Neliel before, she and Hitsugaya think that he's against everything his father stood for, which makes him look like a traitor

The Wandenreich isn't the only faction with internal conflict.

-Bambietta isn't dead. But remember, Zaraki already fought and killed Unohana. Only the top dogs of the Wandenreich and Soul Society can really compete with him.

-Tetsuo was never dead either, he just fell unconscious. I just wanted to give Ichigo a reason for running into Sui-Feng.

* * *

Reviews:

Instead of answering or commenting on each Review like I usually do, I've decided to just compile some up and answer here.

-For the review about Sui-Feng being villainous, you have to think about the reverse as well. Everyone else thinks Ichigo is the villain, even if he is taking up a Gin-like role in the Wandenreich, herself included.

Haschwalth was angry because Quilge is extremely loyal to Yhwach, and he doesn't know how he would act around Ichigo's mother.

Gin is more of a joke character in this. Aizen's locked away, and he's partners with Rangiku, so its not like he really has to worry about anything... you know, except for Rangiku.

Masaki was slow at training, but not necessarily weak in Canon. Her small bow with one hand was able to put down White, and Isshin barely damaged him at all. Not to mention that it's been over twenty years since that happened.

-For the review about killing people off, I only do it for either shock value or if their importance runs out in the story. It's worth noting that Ichigo's villains are those loyal to Yhwach, as their not loyal to Haschwalth.

And it's officially Wandenreich, though due to its German basis, would be pronounced with a 'V'.

-For the medallion review, every Stern Ritter has the medallion, but as stated in this Chapter and Chapter 12, the Soul Reapers have known that they could steal Bankai for months. They've prepared themselves for not using it.

And Ichigo's not the type of character who would steal someone else's power.


	29. The Greatest Creation

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

A red arc beam flashed through the air, kicking up white dust and sand as it crashed into its target. Quilge's eye twitched in shock and pain as he was sent flying back by Benihime's trademarked attack.

Masaki's tired gaze shifted in the direction of Kisuke as he stepped next to her, a frown clearly represented on his face even within the shadows of his bucket hat.

"Sorry, Mrs. Kurosaki. It's clear that we don't have the time for this... And it's clear that he doesn't either... Otherwise he wouldn't have rushed to release his final form."

When her questioning gaze reached his eyes, he answered, "It's clear from his words..."

_"Don't worry, Mrs. Kurosaki... You will see your son soon..."_

"...that he doesn't intend for you to escape here alive...and your son neither... But I don't understand your intentions... If Yhwach needs Ichigo, why are you trying to kill him?"

The dust was cleared with a single flap of Quilge's wings, revealing him clearly unharmed from Benihime's attack. He clasped a single hand over his mouth and mumbled, "There goes my mouth again... I better learn to keep quiet... Might start telling you other crazy things..."

Masaki's teeth bared as she growled, "No, I'm gonna make you talk! Open wide, you bastard!"

The Stern Ritter offered a small smirk before disappeared out of sight, escaping the incoming rain of Heilig Pfiel. As her view of the illuminate moon of Hueco Mundo was suddenly blocked out, Masaki looked up as Quilge rose above her and yelled, "Licht Regen!"

Pointing his sword in her direction, a barrage of light arrows zoomed towards her direction.

"Blood Mist Shield."

A red beam, forming the shape of a shield, appeared in front of them and took the hail head on. After the attack dissipated, Kisuke leaped to the air with his Zanpakuto held up. Flexing his wrist, he drew a circle above his head and cried out, "Lament, Benihime!"

Quilge's eyes widened as the Soul Reaper swung his blade down with both hands, slashing across his shoulders and down to his hip. Even with Blut Vene activated, it still caused considerable damage. He could do nothing as he fell from the sky like a wounded bird, crashing into the ground.

_'My... My leg! I can't...move it!'_

"...Spurning allows me to study the Reishi composition and muscle movements, by which I am able to cancel out techniques... Razor is a technique that can move in any direction I choose and cut through any substance. Lament combines those tools together."

Quilge panted madly as Kisuke landed in front of him and slowly eased his way towards him.

"...I have study your muscle movements and Reishi composition during your little tryst with Masaki... Using the Razor technique, I was able to apply it offensively with Lament and cancel through your Blut Vene. I have all the tools necessary to end you without trying... So please, don't fight back, and tell me why you plan to go against your own leader."

Quilge groaned as he tried to pull himself up from the ground, though Masaki's foot kept him from doing that as she kicked him away.

"...I'm not giving you any time to use Ransotengai... It's done."

The Stern Ritter soared back into a large stone, where collided helplessly with it and slid to the ground slowly. As the shadows of his enemies drew closer, he found himself chuckling despite the situation.

"...How far...would you go to ensure the safety of your leader, Kisuke Urahara...? Masaki Kurosaki...? To put your life on the line for your master...?"

Kisuke paused as he stood right before Quilge alongside Masaki. He looked down at the Stern Ritter in confusion.

"...I wasn't...going to let that boy... I wasn't going to let him kill His-!"

He was abruptly cut off as his head spontaneously exploded into various fleshy chunks, splattering both of the surprised parties.

"What...!? How'd he...!?"

On the other side of the rock, Gina Dokugamine dispersed her Reishi bow and motioned for the other girl to follow as they prepared to escape. The blonde flinched as she heard the violent explosion of gore and mumbled, "Are you sure that was necessary...?"

"...He was going to tell them Master Haschwalth's plan... They know too much already... Plus I've always wanted to do that..."

The other attendant deadpanned and whispered, "You know, you can really scary..."

"...When it comes down to keeping the Young Master safe, I have to be... We don't need those two threatening his position... Let's hurry back to HQ before we're discovered."

* * *

"..._All I wanted...was to be like you... To fight to protect others...and all of my close ones... It's hard, protecting others from the other side... You've made it really hard for me, you know..."_

_ He could see the equal-heightened figure staring directly him, his short black just the same as before, and the scruffy beard that was never shaved. His white cape fluttered behind him as he watched Ichigo's expression._

_ "...Trying to live up to your name... Guess it wasn't possible from the very beginning... I understand...that no matter what happens, I will always be on the wrong side..."_

Zaraki groaned at the blank expression on the boy's face. His pupils dilated as his breathing began to shorten.

"Man, you killed him! I wanted to fight him!"

Toshiro frowned and looked over his shoulder as the large figure. He sighed, "...You can fight him all you want after he comes to the Soul Society..."

He then turned to Sui-Feng and said, "He's still breathing. Do what you have to before he passes."

The woman frowned and grumbled, "Are you asking me to finish him off after both of you clearly interrupted my business?"

"...It wouldn't do to argue... This clearly won't slide with the Head-Captain or the boy's mother, so you might want to get it over with before he finds ou-"

A sudden appearance of killing intent halted all three of the Captains in their places.

"...It's a little too late for that, don't you think?"

Toshiro slowly turned his head around until his eyes locked with the very person they were discussing. The Head-Captain's expression couldn't be seen under his straw hat, but with both his blades and clothing covered in blood, it clearly wouldn't have helped to see it.

"...To disobey my orders... What shame you all bring to the Soul Society... Do not think you three will leave here unpunished."

Never before had any of them seen Captain Kyoraku as angry as he was at that second, and neither one of them could say anything under the suffocating pressure as they were all brought to their knees. Only Zaraki managed to hold his place amongst the drowning Reiatsu.

As the towering man continued to fight against the pressure, Shunsui mumbled, "...Don't get cocky because you were Unohana's chosen one... If you intend to fight my order, I'll put you down like the rapid dog you were meant to be."

Shunsui's eyes widened, as before he could make good on his threat, a voice echoed, "...This doesn't look good... It seems that you pick the wrong moments to exert control over any situation, Shunsui Kyoraku."

* * *

"...Aw...that had to hurt... That's cause my Reishi quite poisonous when I garner control over it..."

Byakuya Kuchiki hurled on his feet as he fell against the pavement, his eyes bulging out wide as he continued to heave up the blood lodged in his throat. Ciara shrugged and continued, "...You see, each of us Stern Ritter has a letter... I'm kinda special though..."

He said nothing as he rolled onto his side, attempted to keep himself steady, but to no avail. The Stern Ritter sauntered forward before grabbing the back of his Haori and lifting him up with a single hand and leaning closer to his ear.

"...Ya see, my letter, 'V', actually represents two epithets... My allies call me...the 'Vaccine'... But to enemies and test subjects, I am the 'Virus'... With a single Heilig Pfiel, you've become poisoned, and the virus is quickly spreading through your body and draining your Reiryoku... It is only a matter of time before we're able to perform an autopsy, so please sit tight and wait, Byakuya Kuchiki..."

A sudden loud noise rung in her ear, causing her to groan as she realized that His Majesty was calling. It was clear that it was an urgent matter that she was to attend to.

"...A wounded? Gah, and here I was, thinking I'd have time to play with you, Kuchiki... Maybe some other time... Try to last a little longer next time, okay?"

He heaved once more as she dropped him before disappearing in a flash, leaving the Captain to black out as he heard the distant screaming of his Lieutenant.

* * *

"...So you've been waiting for me to enter the battlefield first... That's why you sent that goon you call a Stern Ritter, Yhwach."

The Emperor of the Wandenreich smiled sinisterly and widely as he watched Shunsui's bitter state. In a semi-circle around Yhwach, each of the unconscious Captains laid there, defeated as soon as as they attempted to surround him. Behind him, Haschwalth held the semi-conscious orange-haired Stern Ritter over his shoulder.

"...Oh? It seemed Driscoll wasn't up to the task... How sad."

In less than a second, a set of feet landed on the ground behind Haschwalth. He held out the teenager to the incoming woman who placed him on the ground and began healing him. Yhwach looked over his shoulder at Ciara and said, "Finish quickly. He and I have an appointment to make."

Haschwalth and Ciara both looked towards the man, clearly surprised as the blonde asked, "Wait, what? What are you talking about, Your Majesty?"

Yhwach narrowed his eyes and answered, "None of your concern, Haschwalth. And I told you to hurry, Ciara."

Under the leader's challenging stare, Haschwalth turned his gaze back to the injured boy. In front of him, Shunsui ready his scimitar-like Zanpakuto and prepared to battle.

Yhwach raised an eyebrow and said, "It's clear that you aren't anywhere near my level... Only Yamamoto was capable of that, and he's long gone. What makes you think that you can take me alone?"

"He's not."

Shunsui's eyes widened, along with Yhwach's, as another figure landed next to him. His white-hair flowed as he drew his own dual-blade Zanpakuto, holding it up as he faced down the Quincy King.

"Ju-Jushiro!? What are y-?"

The elder man gazed skeptically out of the corner of his eye to Shunsui and interjected, "We are Yamamoto's sole pupils... He alone claimed that our combination is the strongest in history... Both of us together will be enough to put this old man back to slumber!"

Yhwach's teeth bared very little, though it was clear from the sweat on his brow that he really didn't want to waste his time fighting a long, drawn-out battle with Yamamoto's students. He turned back to Haschwalth and Ciara and prepared to say something until he realized that Ichigo, though barely, was standing between them.

"Ah, it's good that you're awake... Alas, we have somewhere we need to be... Ichigo, come with me."

Ichigo's sore and tired eyes opened a little as he grumbled, his voice scratchy and sore, "Wh-What...? But...the invasion... I ha-"

"Your part in it is done. It is clear that you don't have the strength to continue fighting."

Ichigo's eyes widened openly, and his breath hitched in his throat.

_"Disappointingly weak, Ichigo Kurosaki... But that was to be expected." _

He slowly looked down at his own feet, and, as if submitting, bowed his head as he followed Yhwach out of the clearing.

"Oi, you wait just a minute, old man!"

Yhwach never stopped, even as Jushiro and Shunsui leaped into the air behind him to attack. Both of them were blocked by a blade that appeared in front of them, courtesy of Haschwalth, and sent rebounding back.

"...If His Majesty and Kurosaki has to be somewhere, then I am to make sure they arrive... You two will not go any further..."

* * *

"...You think... You think Ichigo's planning something...?"

Kisuke frowned and said, "It's clear that he was going to say 'His Majesty'... He said that he was going to stop him from killing Yhwach... Which means that we need to get to him as fast as possible."

Masaki looked down at the Stern Ritter's corpse as Kisuke prepared the Garganta to return to Soul Society.

"...If this lackey believes that Ichigo plans to assassinate Yhwach..."

Orihime, who sat off to the side, finished dejectedly, "Then that Yhwach guy must know as well... Ichigo's in trouble if he stays with them any longer...!"

Kisuke, still typing onto his computer, continued, "...It's a miracle that Ichigo isn't dead yet... Either he believes he can control Ichigo..."

"Or maybe he's afraid."

Everyone turned to Chad as he leaned against the rock and continued, "You said that he wasn't going to invade Soul Society until he sure his weapon was ready... What if Ichigo isn't the weapon...? What if he needs Ichigo to create this weapon, or he needs this weapon to defeat Ichigo?"

Kisuke frowned and said, "He's stronger than Ichigo. He could have killed him at anytime... And the invasion is starting now."

"...But he hasn't killed him, which means he still needs him for something... Maybe Ichigo hasn't reached the level he requires... And if he was truly invading Soul Society, then why is this Stern Ritter here and not a part of it? I don't see why he would simply invade the Soul Society because Mrs. Kurosaki and Kisuke is here..."

Masaki's brows furrowed as she thought aloud, "Then...are you saying this invasion is for a whole different purpose? The Quincy live for vengeance against Soul Reapers... There is not other reason for them to be there..."

Her eyes widened as she trailed off when her and Kisuke came to the same conclusion. The man cursed and began typing faster. The woman screamed, "Hurry up, Kisuke! We have to get to Soul Society now!"

"I'm trying!"

Orihime, frightened at the Mother's loud exclamation, yelled, "What are you two talking about!?"

Masaki gripped her fists tighter and said, "There's a person of interest in Soul Society... The one responsible for Soul Society's recent paranoia, and a criminal who threatened the entire Soul Society... That same man that my husband died trying to kill, and the one Kisuke here sealed away... And whom we believe is Yhwach's reason for this invasion."

* * *

The darkened tunnels under the First Division Barracks cast a foreboding feeling inside of Ichigo's gut as he followed the Quincy leader down the steep stairs. Suddenly, the man stopped, causing Ichigo to nearly bump into him.

"...Before you see this man, I want you to close your mind off... He's a very tempting and manipulative man... Don't let him lead you astray."

Blinking at the random advice that was given to him, Ichigo nodded once and continued following him into the deeper depths of the place known as 'Muken'.

_'...'Voided Space', huh? Yeah, that name fits this prison perfectly...'_

After going down plenty of levels, they finally arrived at a large door. Yhwach placed his hand against it, but did not push it open.

"...Are you ready...? You will leave here a changed man, Kurosaki... I know not what he will say to you, but his words will have some meaning."

Ichigo frowned. It was the second time that Yhwach had warned him.

_'Who the hell's down here?'_

"Who's in there?"

Instead of giving an answer, however, he pushed against the door and slowly opened it. The foreboding feeling once again returned to Ichigo as he received no answer. Instead, he stared into the distant darkness of the area, looking to find any kind of beacon of hope in the everlasting darkness.

**"...I thought I'd see you at some point, Yhwach... It's such a coincidence that you'd show your face to the world after I would've taken out your biggest obstacle."**

When the voice pierced through the darkness, Ichigo jumped a little. Yhwach, however, rubbed the bridge of his nose and scoffed, "...I would have killed him if you didn't."

**"...Clearly... Like you did so long ago..."**

The elder man shook his head and stepped into the darkness closer to the voice, with Ichigo hesitantly following. He took two steps forward before the man's voice spoke again.

**"...And it seems you've brought a friend... A lackey? Or perhaps a bodyguard...?"**

Yhwach laughed a little and replied, "And why would I need a bodyguard for you? What can you do in your pitiful state, boy?"

**"...A lot of things... But let's just keep that between you and me, shall we?"**

The Quincy Monarch motioned Ichigo closer with his finger. Ichigo circled around the slightly visible podium to see who was sitting on the supposed throne. What he saw, however, shocked him greatly.

Excluding the man's lone visible eye and a patch of brown hair, and the unconcerned smirk on his face, the man was completely bonded to the chair with black tape. The eye rolled over to his direction, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

**"...I do not recognize you, boy. I've never felt your Reiatsu."**

Yhwach smiled slyly and added, "...But it's funny... It's funny that you do not recognize him, even though you are the man who kick-started his life into fruition... You are the reason I was even able to find him, and the reason that he was even introduced to this world..."

It was clear that both Ichigo and this man were confused beyond all reasoning, both wondering how they could have affected either of the others lives.

"...I would like you to meet Ichigo Kurosaki... And Ichigo, I want to introduce you to the man responsible for everything..._Sosuke_..._Aizen_..."

_"Do you even know about Aizen?" _

_"Sosuke Aizen was a notorious Soul Reaper who wished to transcend beyond all beings and reside upon the throne of the world... He was responsible for creating and experimenting with Hollows and Arrancars, including the Espada you've met... He was also responsible for placing the blame of a certain Hollowfication on Tessai Tsukabishi and Kisuke Urahara. They were nearly executed, only saved by the late appearance of Yoruichi Shihoin. They were exiled and banished to the realm of humans forever."_

_ "His Majesty explained to you that your mother possessed a Hollow Virus that you absorbed... Sosuke Aizen was the creator of the Hollow that attacked your mother and father... That Hollow was formed from the basis of Soul Reapers, and it passed a particular Hollow down to you... One that became your Zanpakuto and Fullbring..." _

_ "The Hollow Virus resided in your mother, being held back by her connection to Isshin Kurosaki, and it now resides in you... And from your very birth, Sosuke Aizen targeted you... When His Majesty's technique nearly killed you and your mother, it broke the strings connecting your father to your mother... From that point on, he placed a spell on you to hide you."_

_ "Your father's connection to you gave him access to his powers again... So he joined the Soul Reapers once more... Your father became the Substitute Soul Reaper for Karakura to protect you from the clutches of that madman and his Espada."_

_ "On the first day of November, three years ago, the war between the Soul Reapers and Aizen broke out..." _

_ "When Aizen defeated the Head Captain, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the war should have been over... But your father arrived in time and used a single powerful technique that cost him everything... He lost his powers..."_

_ "...And exactly a month later, he died. From that point on, your mother fought to continue protecting you as your father did...going as far as to limit your interactions with the afterlife so you wouldn't die as he did... Your father is hailed in the Soul Society as a war hero, and the remaining Espada, such as this one here, believes in him for rescuing them from Aizen."_

A look of pure horror stretched across Ichigo's face as he stared into the darkest depths of his father's sworn enemy... His _own_ sworn enemy...

On the opposite hand, Sosuke Aizen's lone eye widened to extreme proportions, and his smile widened, barely containing the child-like glee in his expression and voice.

**"...**_**Ichigo**_**...**_**Kurosaki**_**... My greatest **_**creation**_**..."**

* * *

"...Ciara, did you get it?"

The medic of the Wandenreich reached into her cloak and pulled out a medallion and tossed to Haschwalth, who stared unblinkingly at the two top Soul Reapers in history.

Shunsui frowned and mumbled, "...Jushiro, I don't trust this one a bit... He must be pretty high on the rankings if that man trusts him to hold us off."

"...I know... Don't underestimate this one, Shunsui."

Haschwalth, overhearing the two, hmph'd and drawled, "It's great that the two of you are taking me seriously... I thought I would've had to convince you of my prowess..."

Behind him, Ciara coughed into her hand, "Woah, Haschwalth, are you crazy!?"

He looked over at the woman behind him as she shouted, "There's no way you can fight both of them on your own, regardless of the medallion's modifications! With the both of us-"

"...I don't know if I can control it yet, and I don't want you to get caught up in it."

He held the medallion up and watched for Shunsui's and Jushiro's reaction. Both of them narrowed their eyes and tightened up their stances as they waited for him to make the next action.

"But-!"

He held his left hand in front of her as he stopped her from continuing. He pushed her back before holding the medallion out.

"..._Bankai_..."

Jushiro's and Shunsui's eyes widened as the ground suddenly erupted into flames and trapped them all inside. The flames also exploded underneath Haschwalth's feet, covering him in a cocoon of fire.

Shunsui looked all around him as he exclaimed, "What the!? What is this!?"

The first thing that emerged from within the intense burst of heat was an enlarged sword with crimson-red blade edge and a hook at the end. Behind that was a massive shield, from which the blade emerged, and then finally Haschwalth himself.

On the man's right arm, a black gauntlet shaped like a dragon fully encompassed the entire arm. A sash-like component went over his left shoulder and down to his waist, containing five burnt-orange orbs. A dragon's tail came down behind him, and attached the sash and the gauntlet together. His Reishi sword, cruciform in appearance, formed in his right hand.

"...Raika Goen Kaku..."

Jushiro's eyes narrowed in recognition, and he and Shunsui both met gazes as they realized whose Bankai it belonged to.

_ "...You did well as a test subject, Shusuke Amagai... You'll be the first person for us to test this on."_

_ He stood, shocked and confused, as his Bankai suddenly disappeared from his body. He watched in disbelief and fear as his greatest weapon was inaccessible. His right hand reached forward in an attempt to make one last effort._

"...Shusuke Amagai's stolen Bankai... So you were the one that..."

Haschwalth stared blankly at the two as he drawled, "I know it isn't the same... It took both Ichigo's and His Majesty's Reiatsu to get it to a stronger level... But don't you get a sense nostalgia when you see these flames?"


	30. Two Becomes One

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"...And what do you mean by that...? I'm your..._greatest _creation...?"

The bonded man in the chair grinned widely and replied, **"Exactly what I said, Ichigo Kurosaki... All of the circumstances in your life was due to me... I intended to study you further before my capture, but alas..."**

Ichigo's teeth were bared and gritted as he contained himself from attacking the smug man in the chair. His killing intention clearly did nothing to affect Sosuke Aizen as the man's grin seemed to be permanent, like a tattoo on the flesh.

**"...You've obtained powers from 'White', have you...? I can sense him... Even without being able to sense an ounce of your Soul Reaper heritage, to which I'm most disappointed, I can see that being a Quincy...is actually most beneficial to you..."**

The man settled into a moment of quiet reflection as he stared blankly into space. He then turned back to Ichigo and said, **"...Interesting. Now that I think on it, Quincy are affected the most by Hollows... Their bodies cannot contain them... Even your mother could not survive with undergoing special procedures."**

"...And that's supposed to matter why?"

Aizen then smirked to himself and continued, completely ignoring Ichigo, **"...Maybe... Maybe you're not fully human... It's possible that even without those powers, you could still be considered a Plus... At least, as long as you're in the Soul Society... Most curious..."**

Ichigo turned back to Yhwach, who seemed to be lost in his own thought and not paying attention to any thing Aizen seemed to be saying.

**"...But your power... It's frightening that even though most of it's been sealed way, I still feel you unconsciously drawing from my own body... It would be ironic if you were to absorb my existence, Ichigo Kurosaki."**

With a small smirk, he continued, **"...With every step you take...Reishi is subservient to you... The Reishi that makes up a Soul's body is under your control... Maybe that is why Yhwach limits his interactions with you."**

_"That night of June, you and your mother were supposed to die because I willed it. But you, Ichigo Kurosaki, prevented that and saved both of your lives that night. You possess the potential to become even greater than I."_

_ "...You understand that he fears you entirely, correct? Your Sklavarei can surpass his own in due time, and he's afraid that you'll one day take his power for your own. So he keeps you close, and monitors your strength so that he may execute you and steal ____your __power when he gets the chance. You can't seriously be so innocent as to believe that he genuinely watches over you?"_

Now that explained why the elder man only spoke with Ichigo a few times since he first came to the Wandereich. It seemed like Yhwach really was frightful of his Sklavarei control.

However, a sudden thought came to his mind as he thought, _'Has... Has other people been affected by me...? What if I'm...?'_

**"...People like you and me...we don't wear expressions like that... Keep that weakness to yourself."**

That snapped Ichigo out of his stupor as he narrowed his eyes in the direction of Aizen and growled, "Don't talk like we're both the same...! Me and you are completely different!"

**"...But we are... You think you are righteous...? After abandoning everyone who loved you in order to gain power, you think me the villain? You might believe you're a hero, but you're far from it... You're a lost puppy with a large bark...but no substance to show for it."**

The young Quincy huffed angrily before snarling, "I'm not a psycho with plans of world domination! Don't compare me to you!"

**"...World domination...? Are you really going to demoralized my intentions like that? I am a mere scholar who wishes to understand the true nature of this world... If overthrowing the Soul King was required to see it, who is to say I'm wrong?"**

Ichigo growled, "Everyone, obviously. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here."

**"...That's funny... So who is to say you're right, then? Again I ask, what makes **_**you**_** different from **_**me**_**?"**

The threatening words clearly rung through Ichigo's brain as Aizen looked pointedly towards Yhwach, and he had to take a glance himself to see what the man was thinking. His eyes were closed, as if he was tuning out the entire conversation.

_'...Is he...calling me out? Is he giving that Old Man a sign to our rebellion?'_

**"...What's that look for? Are you...afraid...? You'll never come close if you live in fear..."**

The man sighed before closing his eyes and leaning back in the bounded chair. Suddenly, Ichigo and Yhwach felt a spike of Reiatsu, causing the Quincy King to leap in front of Ichigo.

"What did you just do?"

Aizen's brows curled up innocently as he drawled, **"...I didn't do anything... I don't know what you're talking about..."**

Yhwach snarled as he stared at the clearly guilty man and growled, "You are lucky that Hogyoku keeps you alive..."

**"...But then...you wouldn't be able to recruit me, hm? You brought Kurosaki down here because you had hoped it would've convinced me to escape... But I'll have to deny your offer. This is an interesting game that you all are playing, but I believe that I can wait to see how it ends..."**

* * *

"...Man...I haven't sweated up a sauna since Old Man Yama's flames... Shusuke's Bankai wasn't this hot before, was it, Jushiro?"

The white-haired Captain frowned and grumbled, "Now isn't the time, Shunsui. This guy means business..."

Haschwalth held up Raika Goen Kaku and slammed it into the ground. Jushiro's and Shunsui's eyes widened as the ground began rumbling, and a geyser of flames appeared underneath their feet. It was, however, promptly dodged by the two as they took to the skies.

Shunsui sighed as his pink kimono fell from his shoulders due to his quick getaway. He clicked his tongue in disapproval and moaned, "...Man... And I thought Starrk was annoying... This guy's gonna be trouble."

"...Yeah... I don't understand...how his flames could get anywhere the temperature of Old Man Yama's..."

From the ground below, Ciara watched as Haschwalth leaped into the air after them, swinging out waves of flames that burned the nearby buildings and reduced them to ashes.

"...It took a lot of time... But it seems like its paid off since Jugo can fight two esteemed Captains on an equal footing..."

As Jushiro came in on Haschwalth's left side, Shunsui attempted to attack him from his right. With a swing of the sword, a geyser of flames erupted around Haschwalth's form, keeping them both from getting too close.

"...All Reiatsu have memories... Every defeat...every victory... Reiatsu tracks them like scars on the body... Within His Majesty's own Reiatsu lies the traces of the only man to ever defeat him... Even with such a weak Bankai, the traces sealed into that medallion...possess the memory of the earth-scorching flames of Ryuujin Jakka..."

Ciara chuckled slightly to herself and mumbled, "This weapon...has to be the most ironic thing I've made for you, Jugo..."

* * *

"Jushiro, get higher! Katen Kyokotsu's in the mood for one of her games!"

The man nodded and used the closest building to leap higher before it too was turned into ashes. Only yards below them, Haschwalth clapped both his own Reishi sword and Ryujjin Jakka together, which fired a barrage of burning arrows in their direction.

In mid air, Jushiro twisted and held his left-handed blade out and absorbed the incoming arrows. With his right-handed blade, he fired them back in the direction of the Stern Ritter, who shifted to the side to escape. Sliding across the tiled roof of a nearby building, Haschwalth glanced up as Jushiro let out a war cry while free-falling from the sky with his sword held high above his head.

Haschwalth sneered, "Such an obvious attack. I'd have thought that you two were above such kindergarten tactics."

"...Oh really?"

He heard the voice clearly, but could not discern its whereabouts. It was at that moment that he also noticed that Shunsui was nowhere to be found, despite him clearly hearing his response.

_'Wait...Where's the Head-Captain!? He was just here!'_

Just as his blade clashed with Sogyo no Kotowari, he felt a slightly tickling sensation on the back of his neck; a sure sign of danger. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted the blade of Katen Kyokotsu rising from his own shadow, the intention to pierce through his back as clear and sharp as its curved edge.

"...Kageoni."

Haschwalth gasped as the sword jabbed through his back, causing his eye to twitch in disbelief as he fell forward helplessly from the top of the building.

* * *

Sosuke Aizen, after being left to his own devices, shifted his shoulders slightly as he mused aloud to himself.

**"...Hmph... So the boy seeks the destruction of Yhwach... He's not anywhere close to his level, even with "White"..."**

He closed his eyes and waited. He knew that the wraps that allowed him to speak will close up, and that he would once again await darkness.

**"...But I have given you the tools... Even as you curse and hate me, you'll have no one but me to thank when that time comes... Then...we shall see what happens next..."**

_"I want you to spend the rest of your sentence trying to think up a plan to stop me... For what you've done to my father, I'll make you suffer... As soon as I become stronger, I'm coming for you next..."_

The tiniest hint of a smirk crossed Aizen's face as the last of the bounds covered his face once more, and he relished the feeling of the deepest darkness.

* * *

"You don't look so good, Haschwalth... It seems I was mistaken in my belief that you could fight the both of them at once... But it matters not..."

Shunsui and Jushiro, who were both standing over Ciara and the wounded body of Haschwalth, froze up as a dark shadow loomed over them. With a quick glance behind them, they noticed that Yhwach stood over them, disappoint clearly written on his face.

"...I had hoped to recruit Aizen so he could reveal to me the secrets of the Oken... But I should've known better... It seemed that his interest in Kurosaki overwhelmed his desire to aid me in the destruction of the Soul King."

_'Is that why he brought Ichigo with him!?'_

Jushiro and Shunsui's face contorted into shock at the revelation of his reason for disappearing, along with Haschwalth's and Ciara's, though for completely different reasons.

Yhwach frowned and said, "It seems like this little skirmish is pointless if we can't reach the Soul Palace... Haschwalth, alert all Stern Ritter to retreat for recovery..."

Before Haschwalth could react to do anything, one of Shunsui's blades was placed underneath his chin. He turned back to the Quincy leader and mumbled, "...I can't allow you to do that... You can't just walk in and out of Soul Society as you please..."

The elder man chortled as he stroked his chin in deep contemplation before drawling, "...Trying to assert control over the situation? It's too late for that, child... After all, you don't have what it takes to control anything, now do you?"

"Don't listen to him, Shunsui! He's trying to-"

The Head-Captain snarled, "I'm not a child, Jushiro...! Petty words matter little to me...!"

Yhwach held his arms out wide as he laughed, "...Heh... Then cut the chit-chatter... I'm waiting."

At that very moment, Jushiro and Shunsui appeared on either side of the emperor, both blades poised to strike at his throat.

* * *

"...You alright there, Beanstalk...? You look like shit."

Ciara heard the sound of footsteps over the loud roar of the battle nearby as she continued to heal Haschwalth. She turned and watched as Ichigo solemnly made his way towards them, his hands in his pockets.

The older man groaned, "...Not really... Those flames aren't working for me..."

"...You were an idiot to think you could control any flames better than that Old Man."

Haschwalth frowned as Ciara sharply reprimanded him. Before he could say anything, she continued, "I thought we were leaving that task to Ichigo here."

"...I know... It was...just in case... Not everything works...as intended."

Having no idea of the subject of their little argument, Ichigo turned his back towards the fight.

_'...It's barely been a day...and I already wanna leave this place...'_

"...What...did he say...?"

Still blankly staring out into space, Ichigo realized that Haschwalth was speaking to him, causing him to look down at him and dumbly ask, "...What...?"

"...Aizen... What did he say?"

Ichigo shrugged and answered, "I don't really know... Just some things about how he gave me my powers...and comparing me to him..."

He mumbled other incomprehensible things, but Haschwalth didn't press him as Ichigo sighed and absentmindedly kicked a nearby rock.

"...You're...nothing like him... He's a manipulator... He knows how to...get into people's heads..."

Ichigo scoffed mirthlessly, "So I've heard... So I've heard."

* * *

"Hiiiiyaaaa!"

Yhwach ducked as Jushiro's blade swept over his head, followed by a series of additional swipes. Weaving through each and every strike, the Quincy followed up by kicking him in the gut, sending him soaring through the air and into a pile of rubble.

"Not good enough."

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Yhwach noticed Shunsui closing in on his right side. Swinging the back of his hand in the Head-Captain's direction, the Quincy Monarch was surprised when the Soul Reaper dashed out of sight. His features widened in shock until he looked down and saw Shunsui crouched below him.

"Bushogoma!"

Twirling, the Head-Captain released a circular blast of wind, throwing Yhwach off of his feet and causing him to grip the ground to keep himself from going too far.

Growling as he stood up, Yhwach reared his hand back and snapped his fingers, forging a lance made of Reishi.

"Heilige Lanze!"

He took a step forward before heaving it full force in Shunsui's direction. Though it was too quick for him to dodge, he was saved by the timely arrival of Jushiro, who used his left sword to absorb the lance, and with his right, sent it right back.

Once again surprised, Yhwach gritted his teeth as the lance exploded into large cross shape right above his body.

* * *

Ichigo, Haschwalth, and Ciara all dropped their jaws as the explosion went off next to them.

"...Guys... Did he just get owned?"

Haschwalth grimaced and turned his head, saying, "...Nothing like that...could stop His Majesty..."

Just as he confirmed, a large groan and the explosion of dust signaled Yhwach's reappearance. As he rose from the ground, his black cloak flew away in tattered remnants, and he dusted himself off and complained, "...Gagghh... Yamamoto's pupils indeed... You two alone truly make up for his loss..."

Shunsui tilted his hat to cover his face as he laughed, "Aw... You're making me blush... Ain't that right, Jushiro?"

Jushiro's eyes narrowed as he deadpanned, "...Really, Shunsui? This is no laughing matter, I tell you!"

"...Gosh, why so serious? You know me, Jushiro... It would be a waste not to dance no matter what..."

The group of Stern Ritter off to the side sweatdropped as they watched the two argue. Their argument was interrupted as the ground between them exploded, courtesy of the Heilig Pfiel fired from Yhwach's fingers.

"...Don't ignore me. At first, I was going to peacefully leave... But now, I really need to ensure my dominance, so neither of you test me ever again."

Raising his finger up, he fired another blast towards them, though it was absorbed by Jushiro and released back towards his direction. In return, however, Yhwach clapped his hands together in front of him before yelling out, "_All Macht Schild_!"

Spreading his hands apart, Yhwach created a shield of Reishi in front of him, which spread to cover the entire area in front of him, blocking each Heilig Pfiel shot from Jushiro's blade.

"_All Macht Sabel_!"

The shield began contorting itself down until it covered over his arm like a protective gauntlet, creating a curved beam edge. Rearing back, the Quincy King thrust his fist forward, and the light ripped across the tiled ground in an arc.

A panicked look etched into the features of the eldest Captains of the Gotei Thirteen, and they leaped into the air to escape.

Shunsui panted breathlessly after they were safe in the air, "That was too much... That could've ended this instantly..."

"Don't drop your guard! This dance hasn't ended yet!"

The two flinched as they heard the voice echo right behind them, causing them to shift around. Yhwach hovered in the air behind them, looking down on them with an dark gaze.

Right above him, a large bow of Reishi appeared. With a wave of his hand, the arrow fired from the bow, which he caught.

"...Get ready."

Grabbing the handle of the blade-like arrow with his other hand, a simple tug of his arm allowed him to pull it into two separate halves.

"...Come at me...!"

With both of his swords, Yhwach blocked each of the incoming strikes, clashing and reverberating shock waves from the position of the three powerhouses.

_"...Both of you...possess the only twin Zapakuto in Soul Society's history... A sure sign of true magnificence..."_

Pushing against Shunsui's momentum, he was able to send the Head-Captain flying. Ignoring the cry of the Head-Captain's name from Jushiro, Yhwach landed a solid blow to his chest with his foot, sending him flying towards the ground.

_"...Looking back, the both of you have improved greatly..."_

Yhwach looked up as Shunsui threw his pink kimono in his direction. He frowned and slash it out of his way. The sunlight beamed perfectly against one piece of sliced cloth, casting a shadow over the other.

"Kageoni!"

Shunsui's body emerged from the Kimono and, with quick and nimble dexterity, slashed Yhwach's shoulder.

_"...You were always chasing girls... But you were perceptive and talented, above all others In your class... Shunsui..."_

Grimacing, the Quincy brought his Reishi blade back, clashing into Shunsui's other blade. Right after he pushed the Head-Captain away, Jushiro came up behind and slashed at his back.

Yhwach disappeared from Jushiro's sight before appearing behind him and attempting a two-handed overhead slash. He was stopped in mid-swing as the Captain slashed through his abdomen in one quick move.

_"Even though you were sickly and weak, you had the strongest of hearts... Everybody's eyes were always situated on you, Jushiro..."_

"_All Macht Schild_!"

The explosive shield wave kept the two Captains at bay as he tried to regain the upper hand. Placing the blades back into the full arrow, he recreated his bow and fired it in their direction.

_"I taught you both... Expanded your powers to become an unstoppable force...to become Captains... When that day arrived... I was never more proud than I had ever been that day..."_

Jushiro's Zanpakuto absorbed it, and once again, he prepared to return fire. This time, however, things were different.

Yhwach had prepared for that particular moment as he appeared next to Jushiro, a satisfied smirk on his face and his true Spirit Weapon in his hand.

"...No longer will you watch his back... Today, I will break apart Yamamoto's devoted pair..."

_"...It was like watching...my own sons grow into men..."_

Jushiro's eyes widened as Yhwach brought his blade on his collarbone, slicing cleanly through his chest and down to his ribs and rending through his left side. He didn't even hear Shunsui's last scream.

* * *

Trivia:

-Heilige Lanze is German for "Holy Lance", also known as the Lance of Longinus and several other names.

-All Macht Sabel and All Macht Schild are German for "Almighty Sabre" and "Almighty Shield". All Macht Schild is self explanatory, and All Macht Sabel configures the Reishi onto one's arm and makes an arm blade. It can be released in a Getsuga Tensho-like manner.

-If you didn't understand, Haschwalth was trying to copy Yamamoto's success against Yhwach a thousand years ago by upgrading the flames of Raika Goen Kaku using Yhwach's Reiatsu, which as Ciara states, has the memories of his defeat to Yamamoto. Obviously, that didn't work.


	31. Wilted Flowers and the World's Injustice

Disclaimer: This man does not own Bleach.

Quincy Craft

"JUSHIRO!"

Yhwach watched expressionless as the white-haired Captain descended from the sky helplessly. The Head-Captain quickly rushed towards the falling man's position after he crashed into heaps of ruin and wreckage.

Sliding to the man's side, Shunsui quickly grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him up, panic and fear etched into his face as he screamed, "Jushiro! Jushiro, answer me!"

Eyes just as wide as his closest friend's, Jushiro stared up into the darkening sky behind the terrorizing Quincy King as he landed softly on his feet and turned towards the group of Stern Ritter to his right. It was clear, however, that he wasn't responding to any of Shunsui's cries.

Yhwach rolled his shoulders and marched purposefully towards the Stern Ritter and muttered, "Now, if you would, Haschwalth."

The Stern Ritter, still in awe at the display of power possessed by the Emperor, dumbly nodded and pulled his collar close to his mouth and announced, "...All remaining Stern Ritter... Return to the Wandenreich for further orders... This invasion is done... I repeat, save any bodies that you can find, but return to the Wandenreich immediately."

"You wait just a minute!"

Yhwach closed his eyes and sighed before looking over his shoulders towards Shunsui. He let one of his grim, disapproving smirks shine on his face as he taunted, "...Shouldn't you grieve more? I'm giving you that opportunity now... If you want the Soul Society to grieve for your death as well, then you are welcome to try."

"...I think not..."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed before he and Shunsui turned to the side. Holding in his hand the large body of a dark-skinned Stern Ritter, Ryuken Ishida stood there with an unamused expression on his face. He dropped the body on the ground, echoing a large thump in the area as he watched Yhwach.

The man smiled at the white-haired Quincy and laughed, "You? You think you'd stand a-"

"-Chance against all of us at once? Outta your mind, aren't ya?"

Soon, he realized that he was surrounded by all sorts of combatants. Uryu Ishida landed behind his father, his bow prepped to strike. The owner of the interrupting voice belonged to Yoruichi Shihoin as she landed on a nearby building. On the building opposite of her, Sajin Komamura and Gin Ichimaru crashed into the tiled roof and loomed over Yhwach's position.

The fox-faced Captain grinned widely and laughed, "My, oh my... Whatcha gonna do now, Mr. Yhwachy-man?"

Seeing the arrival of so many allies motivated Shunsui enough to raise his own swords in preparation. In a quick moment, everyone dashed in to strike, and Yhwach's eye twitched in desperation and shock as he was too slow to react.

He was saved, however, by the ultimately timely arrival of the black shadows of the Schatten Bereich. Exploding from underneath his own feet, the darkness overtook him, preventing everyone from striking.

Seeing that he was safe and unharmed, he took the time to throw out a taunt, "There's no point in finishing this... Your world is already dying on the inside."

Off to the side, Ichigo, who saw the arrival of a few of his closest people, turned his head away as the shadows began to take him as well. He heard a sudden scream in the distance, a muffled sound as the darkness embraced him and pulled him back to the Wandenreich's Headquarters.

* * *

Renji Abarai's eyes widened as he yelled out, "...Captain Ukitake is...!?"

Komamura held his hand out, stopping the younger Captain from entering the Head-Captain's memorial. Behind Renji, Isane and Ikkaku Madarame bowed their heads as they sighed to themselves. Next to them, Byakuya Kuchiki, healed from his recent encounter, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood by silently with an expression of indifference.

"...Do not enter... It would be rude."

Renji stood back with a shocked look on his face, and Rukia Kuchiki grabbed him and pulled him back, even though she too was shocked at the turning events for her former Captain.

"...That was...his closest companion... His brother in all things."

They all turned as Chojiro Sasakibe marched solemnly into the opening of the First Division hallway.

"...Except a select few...myself included, there's no one here who could truly understand the Head-Captain's pain... Yhwach may not have damaged many of us, but he surely left a gaping hole in the heart of our leader...and that's the worst thing that he could have done."

* * *

"...You led them right to their intended deaths, didn't you, Nanao?"

It was the first time she had ever heard her Captain address without a hint of affection. Like the three Captains, he was clearly displeased with her. She, however, did not want tospeak for the fear that anything she could say would set him off.

Shunsui slouched over the simple coffin, decorated only with the petals of the snowdrop flower, for it was the symbol of the Thirteenth Division. Nanao had never bared witness to her Captain's anger, but she also never bared witness to the dejected man standing before.

In response, Nanao bowed her head and mumbled, "...Head-Captain, I'm sorry..."

"...Nanao, was I... Were we wrong?"

She glanced back at him questionably until he continued, "...Was...Jushiro and I...wrong?"

"...I'm sorry, Head-Captain... But I don't understand..."

For a while, he gave no answer. A few seconds later, however, he finally whispered, "...I felt...that Isshin gave up everything... He loved his family with all of his heart, and gave it all up to save us... Maybe it was for us, maybe it was to protect Ichigo... But still, I felt that we owed him something... Jushiro was always going on about returning the favor."

Nanao sat in dejected silence and turned away from him as he continued, "But... Nanao, were we fools to think that everyone else would agree? Trying to force our on sense of justice upon the rest of Soul Society?"

_"There is no individual sense of justice that can overrule the justice of the world."_

"...Maybe the Old Man was right..."

She closed her eyes and mumbled, "...Permission to speak freely, Head-Captain?"

"...Since when did my permission matter...?"

Shutting her eyes as she flinched from the low blow, she hesitantly continued, "...I understand that... But you saw it clearly...with your own eyes... He's an enemy now... We lost three of the Stealth Force's top operatives...and nearly risked everything to protect humans who don't belong here..."

"...That's what you saw, huh...? Even though he risked his own life to protect his friends against Captain Feng, you saw an enemy? Even when he didn't kill a single Soul Reaper, you all saw an enemy...!?"

His voice rose with each passing sentence, and Nanao seemed to shrink from his booming voice. In response, she simply backed away with a frightful expression. She was even more confused by the sound of his hollowed chuckle.

"...You hear that, Jushiro...? We were both stupid after all...Yamamoto was right... We should have followed the justice of the world instead of our own... I was right from the very beginning, Jushiro... I was right that I wasn't fit to become Head-Captain...""

Nanao's eyes widened and she instantly denied, "No! You're the perfect person...! I mean, we all understa-!"

"...Nanao, you've said enough... Leave me be."

* * *

"...Whew! We finally made it back!"

Kisuke, even through all of his jesting, realized that the entire hall's somber atmosphere meant that there weren't any good news. Masaki, who followed him into the hall, froze as she looked at everyone's saddened expression.

His features molded into complete seriousness as he asked, "...What happened...?"

At that exact moment, the doors to the Head-Captain's personal hall opened, and a tearful Nanao slid out and closed the door behind her. Gazing up and realizing that every Captain and Lieutenant were staring at her, she explained, "He needs more time to think... He doesn't want to speak to anybody right now."

Gazing past the Captains, she noticed that Masaki and Kisuke had returned.

"...Oh! You both have returned! I would get the Head-Captain for you two, but he isn-"

Kisuke once again asked, "What happened...? Nanao, what's going on?"

Off to the side, Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed, "Captain Ukitake was defeated by Yhwach... He's dead."

Both Masaki and Kisuke stood utterly frozen as the Kuchiki Head told them the news. The former Captain of the Twelfth Division slowly shoved his hands in his pocket and murmured, "Allow us to see him..."

While it seemed that Nanao was going to deny their request, she eventually relented and simply walked past everyone out into the open door.

* * *

"...It's good that you two returned safely... I was worried that you both might've run into trouble."

Masaki thought it was truly impressive that he managed to speak normally even if she knew he was completely torn inside, especially with the body still being near him. Kisuke, who stared blankly at the corpse of the Thirteenth Division Captain, turned to Shunsui and said, "It was only a Stern Ritter... Someone from the Wandenreich finished him off, so it wasn't a big deal."

"...Did... Did my son...?"

Hearing the woman's hesitance, looked down at his own feet as he sighed.

"...He's alive and well... Even though he made contact with Aizen, he's alive and well. Yhwach took him back to base."

Kisuke's slumping shoulders stood stiffened up as soon as he heard that. Masaki frowned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Both of them, however, were completely unprepared for his next statement.

"...You both should leave Soul Society... Get your friends and go back to Karakura."

Kisuke reared back in disbelief, and Masaki stared at him with confusion as she murmured, "But...But you... You were helping us-"

"...I promised you that I'd help save Ichigo...but I can't speak for Soul Society... While you were gone, a few of my subordinates deemed it necessary to end the lives of the humans... Your son saved them, but was nearly killed by three Captains in the process. I have no idea what they are planning... You're not safe here... After Captain Kotetsu finishes the medical treatment of that boy, you all have to leave."

* * *

It wasn't until hours later that the last of Soul Society's guest walked through the Senkaimon. From high above, staring out from the balcony of the First Division's headquarters, was Shunsui and Nanao. After the guests had left earlier, the burning of the pyre began, and he was silent the entire time. The woman, still frightened of the man's presence, hesitantly murmured, "I sent the message out to him... He should be here soon."

"Good."

It was clear that he did not trust her one bit, she figured. So instead of grating on his nerves and angering him further, Nanao stepped away from him and stood silently. Just as she stated, a few minutes later, the door to the Head-Captain's Hall opened gently.

"...I'm glad you could make it here... Captain Kuchiki."

The Head of the Kuchiki hesitantly stepped into the room. Earlier, during Captain Ukitake's funeral procession, the Head-Captain was completely silent during the ceremony. Nothing but the slouching of his shoulders was present as he watched the coffin burn slowly. Even now, he still wasn't too sure of the Head-Captain's state of being.

As he stood by in the middle of the of room, the somber and emotionless man murmured, "What is it that you require of me, Head-Captain?"

"What is your opinion of Ichigo?"

Both Byakuya and Nanao jumped at the question, each confused by its seeming randomness. The Captain of the Sixth Division blinked rapidly and replied, "...I do not think that I have the right to have an opinion, Head-Captain... You believe that he should be saved, and so I follow orders."

"...In other words, you don't really care?"

The other Captain closed his eyes and answered, "Not really. I do not have a general opinion of him."

"...That's good... Then you're exactly who I'm looking for."

Byakuya mumbled his exact words in shock as Shunsui continued, "...I made a promise that I'd save Ichigo... To Isshin and that woman... _Jushiro_ and I made that promise... But the Gotei Thirteen did not... The actions made clear today is testimony to that... So I will do it myself... Finish what Jushiro and I intended... But I can't be here to do it... So I need someone who holds no ties or promises..."

Now Nanao could see where he was going, as well Byakuya. For the first time ever, the generally stoic figure was rendered speechless by words as he muttered, "...But... But... I don't... I'm not...capable of..."

"...Head-Captain, you can't be serious! No offense to you, Captain Kuchiki, but you are the only one capable!"

Shunsui ducked his face beneath his hat as he continued, "...I'm not capable... I never was..."

"_Even if you sympathize with your subordinates, you can't go around tryin' ta please them all the time. You should do things the way you want to do them, and if nobody follows you, it just means you weren't cut out for this job."_

He chuckled to himself, "Truer words have never been spoken, Hirako..."

He then turned on his heel to face Nanao and Byakuya, and both could see, for the first time, that he wasn't wearing his Captain's Haori beneath his pink kimono.

"...I can't leave this to anyone else... Captain Sasakibe hardly knows the definition of a leader, being Old Yama's right hand man... Captain Kurotsuchi is untrustworthy, and Captain Ichimaru's the same..."

Before he could continued, Byakuya interjected, "I'm sorry, Head-Captain, but I'll have to deny... I'm not capable of performing up to task... I was defeated by one touch of the Stern Ritter... No leader should ever be this weak..."

"...And you are more prepared than anyone else. You still have room to develop, but that gap is closing fast. You are the only one I trust to do this... If you would reconsider, Captain Kuchiki... I'm naming you the Head-Captain of the Gotei Thirteen as of this instant."

He walked over to his desk and pulled open a drawer. In a slow, dramatic movement, he pulled out the Haori of the Head-Captain. With the symbol of the First Division on its back, and its insides decorated with purple, it was truly a magnificent sight.

"...As of tonight, I'm leaving... I may return... I may not... But this is moment where I must leave and find my own justice... I'm sorry, Little Nanao..."

Eyes widening at the endearing nickname that he's always called her, she raised her hand up slowly as if trying to stop him with her will alone. Letting out a small laugh, he threw the Haori at Byakuya, who stumbled over his own feet as he caught it.

Nanao reached out to him as he turned and rushed towards the balcony's railing. Right as he kicked off of it, she screamed out into the night sky, "Captain Kyoraku!"

Byakuya dumbly stared between the Haori and the leaping man in stunned silence. Nanao ran to the railing and collapsed as she continued to cry his name out.

Even as he heard her, leaping across the ruined buildings of his home, he wasn't going to turn back. He wasn't meant to be the leader.

_'...First it was you, Captain Unohana...and then the Old Man himself...and now Jushiro... It seems that all of us old-bloods have to go at some point, huh...?'_

As he stood in front of the same Senkaimon that the Humans passed through, he stopped to take a moment's look at it before he slowly marched towards it.

"...But I still have promises to keep... So wait for me, Jushiro... We can return to the Soul Society together... You just have to wait...a little longer."

* * *

Trivia:

-This chapter and the next was actually one whole Chapter with the last chapter, but I decided to separate all three. Instead of dealing with all of them in one, I decided to separate Shunsui's part in that Chapter and make him his own short chapter while continuing to work on the next one.


End file.
